Fall
by ellafaye
Summary: Our chemistry was undeniable, but there was something there, something bigger than conversations exchanged through glances & little smiles. Edward Cullen was changing me, bringing my insides out, & leaving me vulnerable & scared. It thrilled & terrified me, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I wouldn't have it any other way, that I wouldn't have HIM any other way. AU
1. Chapter 1

- CHAPTER ONE -

BELLA

I looked around the small bedroom in disgust and despair. My room was exactly as it had been when I had left Washington more than ten years ago. The bedspread was old and faded pink with big sunny daisies covering it. My walls were a faded out yellow and adorning them were posters tacked up from my embarrassing childhood days. A few Disney movies as well as a couple of kittens and puppies and was that, oh God! The Backstreet Boys.

My hand met with my forehead as I stared at the embarrassing evidence of my appalling taste in music as a child.

"How's it going Bells?" I looked up from my mortification and moved faster than I ever had before across the room, ripping off the boy band poster from the wall before whirling around and facing my older brother Emmett.

"Fine."

Emmett stared at me curiously then glanced down at the shredded poster in my hands. "Watcha got there?" he asked, raising one devious eyebrow.

"Kittens and puppies." I lied. Emmett glanced at the wall behind me and his eyes went wide a moment before a truly terrifying grin came across his face.

"Backstreet Boys?"

I whirled around and looked at the wall. There was a corner of the poster my frantic ripping hadn't snagged. It was a jagged corner of A.J. McLean's head. I turned back to Emmett and fought against my blush as he started laughing.

"How did you recognize that?" I asked smiling wickedly at him. That shut him up real fast.

"Dad wanted to know if you are hungry." He said glancing once more at the poster corner before focusing on me. I shrugged.

"Yeah I could eat." I balled up the poster and tossed it toward the white wicker wastebasket by the little white and pink desk. Em's eyes swept around the room and he shook his head.

"Your room needs upgrading." He noted. I nodded in agreement.

"How about yours?" I asked, shrugging on my jacket and following him to the staircase.

"Power Rangers, Pokémon and Speed Racer." He said glancing back at me. I chuckled.

"So nothing's changed."

He glared at me but then smirked when I started giggling. We walked down stairs to where our dad Charlie was standing in the living room awkwardly.

"Hey kids." He greeted. We both smiled at him. "Uh, are you two hungry? I was thinking we could go to the diner." He offered.

"Sounds good to me pop." Emmett popped the last 'p' in the word. I nodded silently, in agreement with Emmett.

"Great, uh, should we get going then?" He fumbled with the keys to his rarely used truck and we all nodded.

Dad's truck was old and rusted, a classic, as he called it. It was a 1954 Chevy that was once, I suppose, a cherry red, but had faded to a burnt orange over the years. Dad had had the truck longer than I'd been alive, though he didn't often use it; favouring the use of his police cruiser instead.

"I missed this truck." Emmett said as soon as we filed out the front door. Dad clapped him on the back as we descended down off the porch and headed toward the truck.

"She's all yours. I don't really have any use for her anymore and I know you two will need a car." He explained. Emmett grinned.

"Thanks." He exclaimed happily. Dad nodded and I saw his mustache twitch in a small smile. "Hop in Bells." Emmett opened the passenger's door for me. There was a bench seat up front and that was it, so I scrambled up to sit in the middle of dad and Em. Dad wasn't particularly big, but he was tall and he had enough muscle on him that people took him seriously as police chief of this small town. Emmett took after him in height, but exceeded him in everything else. Since we were kids, Emmett had always been huge. Now at 18, my big brother looked like he was easily in his mid twenties.

Squished between the two of them in the front seat of the truck, I felt dwarfed.

"Does the diner still serve Emmett cake?" My brother asked eagerly. I looked up at him and rolled my eyes. Right before we had left Washington, when mom and dad were still divorcing, we had spent an unreasonable amount of time at the diner. Emmett and I liked it because it was an escape and while in public our parents would at least pretend to get a long. One of the waitresses who worked there, Denny, had made Emmett a cake for his birthday, a curious blend of banana and chocolate cake with strawberry frosting and coconut shavings on top. Emmett, who had loved the cake more than anything, had asked Denny to start selling it at the diner. We hadn't been back there in a long time, but Emmett had never stopped talking about that cake.

"Of course they do." Dad huffed, pulling the truck slowly around a corner. The truck choked and lugged forward in what sounded like agony. "Denny and I have a slice every Wednesday." Dad glanced over at us and Emmett's smile was blinding.

We drove through town, (all two miles of it) and arrived at the diner. It was an old brick building with slightly yellowed windows and chipped green paint around the trim, but there was something distinctly comforting about it. This place, this crappy little diner in the middle of No-Where Washington, had once been a place of refuge for my brother and me. It was nice to see that even after all these years, this little sanctuary hadn't changed.

Inside the diner was packed as usual, and with a glance around the room I was able to confirm that yes, everything was still exactly the same.

"Evening Chief!" A slightly over weight woman with thick brown hair and warm brown eyes stopped in front of us and gave dad a hug. She had long fake nails attached to the tips of her fingers making her appear to have bright red claws, and her pink lipstick had started to bleed around the edges. She looked older than I remembered, but other than that almost exactly the same.

"Denny, you remember Emmett and Bella." Dad said hooking an awkward arm around my shoulders and nudging Emmett with his fist. Denny turned to us and her eyes went wide.

"My little Emmy!" She screeched pulling Emmett into a tight hug. Emmett let out a loud laugh and wrapped his beefy arms around her, picking her up off the ground. She let out a small shriek then laughed as he set her down. "Lord boy how you've grown!" She said when they pulled away. Emmett gave her an impish smile.

"It was all the good food I ate as a kid." He flirted. Denny let out a loud laugh and reached up to kiss his cheek before turning to me.

"Oh little Belly." Her grin was infectious and she pulled me into a tight embrace. I struggled a moment to breath, but accepted the hug gratefully. She smelled like coffee and cigarettes, just the same as I remembered. "Oh Bella you are so beautiful! How old are you now honey?" She asked holding me at arm's length.

"Uh, I'll be eighteen this September." I said shyly. Denny turned to Emmett.

"That means you are gonna be nineteen this year?" She asked. Emmett grinned and nodded and Denny whirled to dad. "Charlie how could you let my kids stay away for so long?" She cried dramatically. "Little Belly's almost an adult and Emmy already is. I can't believe it!" She pulled me against her again in a hug and dad let out a soft laugh then shuffled awkwardly.

"Can we get a table?" He asked. Denny looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"Calm down Chief, I saved your seat don't you worry." She snatched up a couple of menus then looped her arms through Emmett's and mine. "Come on kids, I want to hear about everything you've been up to since you've been gone."

Dinner at the diner was exhausting. After being grilled for nearly twenty minutes by Denny, she finally left to place our order. As soon as she was gone, others descended on the table, eager to meet the Chief's now grown kids.

"Charlie how's it going?" I looked up at our latest visitor in surprise. He was tall, almost as tall as Emmett, with the muscles to compete with my brother as well. His black hair was cut short and his white teeth gleamed against his tan skin.

"Jake, you remember Emmett and Bella right?" Dad asked, shaking the guy's hand. Jake turned to Emmett and smiled.

"Yeah, we used to play football down at the Res during summers." He said shaking Em's beefy hand. Emmett nodded.

"Jacob Black. You beefed up." Emmett observed with a smirk. Jake laughed.

"And you stayed beefed up." He noted. He turned his attention to me then and gave me a flirtatious smile. "And Bella. You look gorgeous." I glanced at Charlie to see what he made of Jake's flirting, but my dad was grinning like a fool. I shifted in my seat and smiled back at Jake. I vaguely remembered him from my childhood; a scrawny little kid who seemed to always be getting himself, and Emmett, into trouble. If I remembered correctly, he was about the same age as Emmett, maybe a few months older.

"Uh, thanks." I said awkwardly. Not even Emmett seemed to mind Jake hitting on me.

"So are you guys visiting? I don't think I've seen you since you left." He gave me one last flirtatious wink before turning to Emmett.

"Nope, we're here to stay." Em announced happily. Dad nodded.

"Jake you and your dad should stop by some time. We have to break Emmett in to living with men again." Dad joked. All three of them laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.

"That sounds great Charlie." Jake stood up. "I gotta head to the garage, but we'll definitely stop by for the next game." He slapped hands with Emmett. They both nodded and Jake turned to me. "See you around Bells." I gave him a polite nod and breathed a sigh of relief when he was gone. Denny came over with our orders and placed them all in front of us, giving us warm smiles and telling us to eat up, before disappearing back into the kitchen.

"You know Bells, Jake owns his own garage." Dad said after taking a massive bite of his stake. Emmett looked up from his plate of ribs with wide eyes.

"Yeah?" He asked through a mouthful of food. "Maybe I can see if he'd hire me." He mused. I nodded.

"That's a great idea Em." I said quickly. I didn't like where my dad was going with that particular piece of information, and to be honest, I didn't want to know. He opened his mouth to say something else but I cut him off. "I'm going to the restroom." I said scrambling out of the booth before he could say anything else. Dad nodded and turned back to his stake and Emmett hardly looked up from his plate. I headed off in the direction of the restrooms, dodging easily through the crowded diner. Lots of people looked at me but no one stopped me to say anything. I slipped past the restrooms and headed for the back door, pushing it open and taking a deep breath of cold Washington air. Emmett was a total ham and loved all the attention we got being back, but I hated it. Just this trip to the diner had my head spinning.

"Christ." I gasped shutting my eyes and leaning back against the wall of the diner.

"You okay?" A deep voice rumbled in my direction and my eyes flew open as my heart leapt. I looked over to see the most beautiful man I'd ever laid eyes on. He was tall and looked to be well defined under his leather jacket and loose fitting jeans. His face had perfect symmetry with a wide sharp jaw and high strong cheekbones. His eyes were the colour of bright green moss and his hair was the colour of a shiny new penny. He arched one thick brow at me and I realized belatedly that not only was I gaping at him, but he had asked me a question and I was just standing there like an idiot. I shook my head to compose myself and looked down at my sneakers.

"Yeah I'm fine." I mumbled, chancing a glance up at him. He watched me steadily a moment before nodding slowly and pulling out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket. He looked up at me and caught me watching his movements. I blushed and looked down at my ratty old converse again.

"Want one?" He asked, pulling out a cigarette and letting it dangle between his lips as he held out the pack to me. I looked up at him hesitantly and saw a small smile settle on his lips, like he was issuing me a challenge he expected to win. Squaring my shoulders I narrowed my eyes at him and stepped away from the wall, taking a cigarette out of the pack. I saw his eyes widen fractionally as I put the cigarette between my lips and cocked my head at him.

"Can I have a light?" I asked. He smirked at me and pulled a lighter from his pocket, easily flicking it open and stepping closer to me so that he could light the cigarette still between my lips. The cigarette flared to life and I took a deep drag, letting the smoke out slowly. I didn't often smoke and I didn't care for it all that much, but on the rare occasion that I did, it provided me with much needed relaxation and a moment of peace.

I brought the cigarette back up to my lips and watched as he pocketed his lighter then stepped closer to me. "Hold still." He mumbled. Reaching up with one hand, he held his cigarette still in his mouth as he leaned forward, and pressed the end of it to my lit one. Standing this close I could smell him clearly. He smelled like cigarettes and leather and pine and something else completely drool worthy. His perfectly green eyes stayed on me while he lit his cigarette and I refused to let myself blink. It became a staring contest between us and I refused to back down.

Finally his cigarette caught and he smirked at me, taking his own drag before stepping back and letting it out. My lungs were burning and I realized, to my great embarrassment, I had stopped breathing. I took another drag on the cigarette and looked back down at my sneakers.

I was a coward.

We stood out there until our cigarettes were burnt to the filters and not another word passed between us.

When I was finally done I dropped the butt into a small puddle by the door where a few more butts had been abandoned and turned to him. "Thanks." I said quietly. He nodded and turned away from me as I went inside.

I made a quick stop in the restroom to collect myself before going back to our table. Emmett and dad were nearly done with their food by the time I got back.

"What took you so long?" Emmett asked through a mouth full of baked potato. I cringed at his bad manners and shook my head.

"Got caught up talking to some folks." I said plopping into my seat and starting in on my burger. They both accepted the excuse and went back to their meals.

I kept looking around the diner for the guy I'd shared a cigarette with outside, but he never came in.

...

The next morning Emmett and I made a trip to the small hardware store in town. It wasn't anything spectacular, but they had a decent selection of paints, which was really what we needed.

Emmett settled on a dark red, which I had to admit, worked really well for him. I was about to select my old stand by, blue, when I spotted the paint sample that caught my eye. It was very nearly the same colour green as the boy's eyes that I had met yesterday at the diner. The colour called to me and beckoned me forward. I held the chip in my hand and tried to imagine my room surrounded by the colour.

"What'd you settle on Bells?" Emmett asked coming up behind me. I held out the chip to him and he cocked his head. "Really?" He asked surprised.

"I don't know, I'm thinking so." I said quietly. Emmett shrugged.

"Like there's not enough green in this state?" He asked chuckling. I nodded and started to drop the chip. He was right, I was being silly. "It's a cool colour though. It would look awesome in your room." He said as an afterthought. I nodded and focused again on the chip. It was a stunning colour, light enough to be warm but blue enough to remind me of the evergreens outside. I smiled and pulled two tubs of it off the shelf before heading over to Emmett. A small pot of gold caught my eye and I snatched it as well, thinking of the lovely accents I could make with it.

We quickly paid for the paint and supplies we needed, before heading out to the truck.

"Anything else you need today Bells?" Em asked pulling out of the lot. I shook my head.

"No, let's go home and paint. I can get everything else another day." I said shaking my head. Emmett nodded and drove us home.

I spent the better part of the day painting my room. I had managed to rip down every poster and sticker from the wall and gotten most of the furniture out of the room so that it would be easier to move around in. I taped off the ceiling and windows before setting a drop cloth down and getting to work.

The green turned out even better than I had expected once it was up on the walls, and I couldn't help but admire the colour. There was something serene and safe in it that made me feel warm.

Taking the gold paint, I cracked it open and got to work on a quote that would rest above my bed.

"Freedom lies in being bold?"

I turned around to see dad eying my wall curiously. I gave him a small smile.

"Robert Frost." I said by way of explanation. Dad nodded.

"Your room looks good." He said looking around. I smiled at him.

"Thanks dad." He nodded and sat there awkwardly as I turned to continue painting the trimming around the windows gold.

"So I was thinking we'd do pizza for dinner. Wanna run with me to pick some up?" He asked. I set down my brush as I finished the last of the frame and nodded.

"Sure dad, let me just clean up."

He nodded and pushed off from my doorframe, moving to Emmett's room next. I moved about the room, quickly cleaning up the paint things before pulling on a hooded sweatshirt and slipping on my sneakers. I met dad downstairs and he smiled at me. "Emmett is still painting." Dad said when I asked if my brother was coming. I nodded and followed dad out to the cruiser.

Dad had already called ahead to order the pizzas, so picking them up was all too easy. He ran in and paid then brought them out and set them on my lap within minutes.

"I need to make a quick stop by someone's house." He said pulling away from the pizza parlor. I nodded and yawned.

"Sure."

We drove in silence for a while, and when we didn't reach whoever's house we were going to in five minutes, I arched an eyebrow at him.

"We still in Forks?" I asked eyeing him. Dad rolled his eyes at me.

"Yes, but not for much longer. He lives just inside the limit." Dad explained. I nodded and settled back into my seat.

Eventually dad pulled off the road and up a winding driveway that snaked through trees ominously. I was about to ask again where we were going when we came upon a large white house nestled into the trees. The first floor had a huge wrap around porch that housed several swings and all the windows looked large and inviting. It was a stunning house and it seemed so strange to find it here, hiding in the forests of Forks.

"Whose house is this?" I asked gazing up at the beauty before me.

"Dr. Cullen and his wife. I just have something I need to drop off." Dad said sliding out of the car and walking quickly up the steps to the front door. The door opened and a petite woman with soft caramel hair greeted dad with a hug and waved him in. From where I was seated, I could see dad shake his head and gesture back to me in the car. The woman looked past him toward me but I couldn't see her all too clearly. I watched as dad interacted with her before handing her a small envelope and accepting a kiss on the cheek from her. He came back to the cruiser and I spotted a blush high on his cheeks.

Being one to easily blush myself, I spared my dad from questioning.

"So the doctor lives out here?" I asked as we started back. Dad cleared his throat and nodded.

"Yeah, he's a good man Carlisle. He and his family moved here about four years ago. He's got this daughter who could make the angriest person happy." Dad glanced at me and blushed a little more for gushing. "She's your age Bells. She's really excited to meet you, hasn't stopped talking about it since I found out you and Em were moving back."

There was something proud in my dad's voice and I looked over at him realizing that he had probably told the whole town we were coming back. For some reason that thought warmed my insides. I was happy that my dad was happy about us being back.


	2. Chapter 2

- CHAPTER TWO -

EDWARD

The instant I walked into the house I knew that I shouldn't have come home. Mom and dad were both in the living room reading on the love seat and Alice was sprawled across the sofa with a thick magazine in her hands.

Sure it wasn't unusual for my family to all gather around in the living room to read, but at five o'clock on a weeknight when mom was usually making dinner and dad was usually still at work and Alice was usually at ballet, something was definitely off.

"Hello Honey." Mom looked up from her novel to smile at me. Everyone's eyes traveled toward me and I stared back silently. "Did you have a good day?" she asked setting her novel on the table in front of her. I shrugged one shoulder in response and that was a good enough answer for her. "We've all been waiting for you to get home." She continued with a warm smile. "We're all going out to eat in Port Angeles. As a family."

"Can't." I said immediately. "I've got a massive paper in English." While I did actually have a paper to turn in soon, I had finished it weeks ago. Still, as much as I loved my family, I didn't want to spend an evening out with them. My family members were social magnets. Everyone who had ever even seen them felt the need to come over and talk with them while we were out. It was exhausting and frankly annoying as fuck.

"Oh Honey are you sure?" Mom asked, trying out her patented Esme Cullen Pout. I shook my head looking away from her face. That pout had cracked me hundreds of times over the years.

"Yeah I've still got tons of work to do on it and I have to turn it in tomorrow. You guys go have fun." I said moving out of the living room toward the stairs.

"I told you he wouldn't come." Alice huffed, flopping back on the sofa.

"Be nice." Mom scolded.

"I'm going to call Jazz and invite him." Alice announced. I was certain now there was no way I was going. It wasn't that I hated my sister's boyfriend, I just didn't like him. I mean by all standards he wasn't a bad guy and he was actually pretty quite which I liked, but after catching them in a number of compromising positions over the years, I've learned that even getting close to Jasper would be a bad idea as I'd probably try to strangle him the first opportunity I could. It wasn't anything personal; it was just my hard wired protective instincts at play.

I ran up to my room and groaned when I realized that I would have to go back out now in order to keep up the lie to my family.

Grabbing a novel off my bedside table, I stuffed it into my pocket and went back down stairs, making sure to grab my backpack as well.

Jasper had arrived by the time I got downstairs and I gave him a silent nod. I think he understood why I couldn't be around him too long and respected that, which made me like him just a tiny bit more.

"Where are you headed?" Dad asked eying me from the couch.

"Library." I grunted.

"Honey, make sure to eat something alright?" Mom intercepted me on my way to the garage. I stopped as her tiny hands came up to cup my face.

"Yeah mom, don't worry." I said quietly. She sighed heavily and patted my cheek once.

"Okay Honey. I love you. Have a good night. I hope you get all your work done."

I gave her a small half smile and reached down to kiss her cheek.

"Thanks mom. I'll see you guys later."

I drove around for a while, not sure on exactly what it was I wanted to do. I was craving a cigarette but I had a strict rule for myself of no smoking in the car, so I pulled over behind the tiny crappy diner in town and walked out toward the dumpsters where most employees took their smoking breaks. I was just reaching into my pocket to pull out the pack when the back door flew open and a girl I'd never seen before came rushing out. She stopped and leaned back against the brick of the diner, shoving her head in her hands and breathing out the word, "Christ."

I stared at her a moment shamelessly. She was beautiful, from what I could see. She had long brown hair soft pale skin, and I couldn't be sure of her body under all those clothes, but I liked what I could see of it. She was wearing jeans and a hooded sweatshirt and a simple pair of sneakers. She wasn't wearing any make up that I could see and her hair, while full and beautiful, wasn't styled. She wasn't like the typical girls here in town and that was refreshing. I wanted to know more. The band on her sweatshirt alluded to good musical tastes and that intrigued me further. She must be passing through because I was sure I'd never seen her before.

"You okay?" I asked, surprising myself. I almost never spoke to anyone outside my family, and I certainly didn't ask if anyone was okay.

She seemed startled by my question and I assumed she hadn't realized I was here. She looked up at me and I caught sight of her eyes. They were perfect swirls of brown; big and soft like a deer's. She was even more beautiful than I had realized before. A faint blush covered her cheeks and she looked back down at her feet. I couldn't help my smirk.

"Yeah I'm fine." she mumbled, glancing up at me through her lashes. I watched her a moment, trying to figure out what the hell it was about this girl that had me so immediately captivated.

Deciding that it had just been too long since I'd had sex was probably the reason for my uncomfortably tight pants; I nodded and reached into my jacket to pull out my cigarettes. I glanced back up at her and saw that she was watching my every movement carefully. I couldn't tell if she was repulsed or intrigued, and a sudden need to challenge her swept over me when she blushed again and looked back down.

"Want one?" I asked, pulling out a cigarette and letting it dangle between my lips as I held out the pack to her. She looked up at me hesitantly and I couldn't help the small smile that itched its way across my face at the challenge. She seemed surprised by my offer, and to be honest, I was too.

I watched her a moment as she stared at me hesitantly before squaring her shoulders, looking me dead on with what was probably the sexiest glare I'd ever received, and stepped away from the wall to take the proffered cigarette and dangle it between her lips. She gave me a sexy little smile before cocking her head to the side and speaking.

"Can I have a light?" Her voice was pure seduction and I fought to keep my hands to myself. My pants, which had been just fine moments ago, were strangling me and it took all my will power not to push her up against the wall and fuck the shit out of her. She was sex, pure and simple and I wanted her like I had never wanted anyone.

Instead, I smirked at her and pulled a lighter from my pocket, easily flicking it open and stepping closer to her so that I could light the cigarette still between her lips. The cigarette flared to life and she took a deep drag, letting the smoke out slowly. My eyes were glued to the movement of her lips and I had to fight back the small whimper building in the back of my throat. I didn't fucking whimper. Ever.

What the fuck was with this girl?

She brought the cigarette back up to her lips and watched me with big brown eyes. I pocketed my lighter, having an idea of how to be closer to her. "Hold still." I mumbled stepping closer. Reaching up with one hand, I held my cigarette still in my mouth as I leaned forward and pressed the end of it to her lit one. It was all I could do not to reach out and touch her. We were standing so close and I could smell her over the scent of cigarette smoke. She smelled like strawberries and honey and something I couldn't identify that was simply mouth watering. I wanted to devour her.

Standing that close to her, I looked her in the eyes and watched as a myriad of emotions ran through them too fast for me to understand. Who the fuck was this girl and why was I so interested?

Finally my cigarette caught and I smirked at her, taking my own drag before stepping back and letting it out. I needed space from this vixen in front of me, needed room to clear my head. She let out a long breath before taking another drag on the cigarette and looking back down at her shoes.

We stood out there until our cigarettes were done and not another word passed between us.

When she was finally done, she dropped the butt into a small puddle by the door where a few more butts had been abandoned and turned to me. "Thanks." She said quietly. I nodded and turned away from her as she went inside.

Emotions started racing through me at light speed; lust and anger being the strongest, closely followed by curiosity. Who was that new girl and please god let her be staying in town.

After finishing my cigarette, I decided I wasn't up for any more bull shiting and just went home. My family had all left for Port Angeles by then so it didn't really matter if I was actually out or not.

Parking in the garage I stormed into the house and up to my room on the third floor.

Mom and dad had been generous enough to allow Alice and I each our own floor of the house. Alice's had consisted of an extra large room with a massive closet and a design studio for her art along with a few guest rooms and mine had consisted of just my room which was about the length of the house. I had divided it up into sections where I housed my piano and music collection and books.

Immediately I went upstairs and flopped down on my old leather sofa, lifting the remote to my stereo where it was laying on the floor and flicking on my music. Guns n Roses came blasting on and I settled back on my sofa sighing.

I heard everyone come home a few hours later though I made no move to go greet them. Eventually dad came upstairs and asked rather redundantly if I'd been able to get all my work done. He knew that I was a straight A student and that despite my rather hilarious reputation for being a rebellious "bad boy", I was actually quite dedicated to my studies.

Dad came and left and eventually I surrendered to sleep after lying on my sofa staring at my ceiling and thinking about the brown-eyed girl I'd met today.

...

There was a flurry of activity at school the next morning. I didn't honestly care what had the entire student population in such hype, but it was rather annoying. People were buzzing and stopping in the middle of hallways to talk, effectively blocking most of my routes to class. Even though no one spoke to me directly I was able to glean some information rather unintentionally. Apparently the chief of Police had kids who had been MIA with their mom for the past ten years. For a reason I wasn't able to understand, they were back in town living with good old Charlie.

Their names, Emmett and Isabella Swan.

I wondered all day if Isabella was the girl I had met yesterday outside the diner. I could only hope so.

School passed in a tedious haze of gossip. It seemed even the teachers were rapped up in all the drama as they seemed unable or unwilling to even attempt to control their students, the exception of course, being Mr. Banner, who was about as strict as they came. Of course he was a fair teacher and really brilliant, as long as you played nice with him and did all your work, he was nice to you. I greatly appreciated teachers like him.

He reigned in the gossip in the class, laying down the law after handing out detention slips to Jessica and Lauren for gossiping while he was trying to lecture. The looks of shock and disbelief on their faces were priceless, and based off the small smirk I saw on Mr. Banner's face, he agreed with me.

When school finally let out, I made my way to my car. Alice was leaning against the side, talking animatedly with Rosalie and Jasper. I approached slowly, unsure as to what was going on. Alice never met me after school. She had her life, and I had mine, and they certainly didn't cross paths at school.

"Edward!" She shouted as soon as she spotted me. I glared at her and hurried to her side so she wouldn't scream anything else. Like we needed to draw more attention than we already were. She reached out to grab hold of my arm as soon as I was close enough, and I looked down at her hand, raising an eyebrow. She ignored my very annoyed look and gave me a brilliant smile. "Have you heard Charlie's kids moved in with him?" She asked. Of course she was on a first name basis with the chief. She knew everyone in this tiny fucking town. I looked up at her and didn't respond, but she didn't really need me to. She kept on going without me. "I'm going to try to meet Bella this weekend, she's Charlie's daughter," she pointed out rather redundantly. "I'm going to invite her and her brother to lunch and a movie in Port Angeles. We're all going. Would you like to join us?"

I was surprised by Alice's invitation. She usually kept me out of her plans, social or otherwise. We may have been twins, but we weren't all that close. At least, not since we moved from Chicago.

I gave Alice an even stare and she sighed, deflating just a tiny bit. "Yeah," she grumbled. "I didn't think so." She let go of my arm and for a moment I felt a twinge of guilt from the sad look on her face. "We're gonna go." She mumbled, turning away from me. I watched her wrap an arm around Jasper's waist while he pulled an arm around her shoulders and led them away to his car. Rosalie, who hadn't moved, gave me a cool glare. I glared back at her and she raised one eyebrow at me. Rosalie was one of the few people in this town who wasn't afraid of me. It was appreciated and annoying as fuck at the same time.

"What?" I snapped, pulling the door to my car open. She slapped her hand over the door to stop me yanking it fully open. I could have knocked her hand away, but the look she was giving me made me second think that move. I had no doubt that below that beauty queen exterior laid a fighter. I knew she could kick my ass, and since I refused to hit a woman, it'd be a pretty ugly beat down.

"Take it from someone who knows," Her voice was cool and low, dangerous even. "Family is the most important thing you'll ever get in this world. Don't fuck it up." She snarled. Her words struck me painfully, in ways I'm not sure she even fucking understood, and I took a deep breath to calm myself so I wouldn't hit her. I had already fucked up, but she didn't need to know to what extent. No one did.

"Mind your own fucking business." I growled out when I managed to finally get a hold of my voice. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Alice is my best friend." She shot back. "And watching her heart break because her fucking twin is an asshole is my business." Her words were venomous and cut me until I felt the need to flinch. I didn't give her the satisfaction though and held my ground. "You're a fucking asshole Cullen, but that girl is the most loyal person in the world and she's standing by you even though you keep shoving her away." Rosalie stared at me as if she didn't understand what Alice was thinking. I couldn't understand either. Rosalie was right, of course, but I'd rather give up my left nut before I fucking admitted it. "So stop fucking breaking her heart." She snarled. She gave me one last deadly glare then turned on her heel, marching away like she'd just won a fucking war.

She basically had.

I knew she was right and that pissed me the fuck off. Alice was my twin sister and one of my best friends, and I'd been an absolute nightmare to her for the past four years. I felt awful about it, but I just couldn't bring myself to change. The shit that had gone down in Chicago four years ago still haunted me, and I couldn't put that on Alice. She was too sweet, too good to be burdened with my fucking problems.

Letting out a sound that somewhat resembled a snarl, I got in my car and ripped out of the lot, barely slowing enough to avoid other cars. I sped out of the school parking lot and headed south on the 101, just needing to get out of town.

I drove until I hit Olympia, a good three-hour drive away. The way I was driving, I made it in one and a half.

Olympia was way bigger than Forks, but in the grand scheme of things, it was tiny. Just another speck on the map in Washington.

I stopped downtown at pretty great Thai restaurant that I loved called Lemongrass, and walked in, enjoying the scent of curries and spices that hit me.

"Hi hi!" The tiny waitress, Mimi, greeted me with a warm smile. I offered her a small smile in return and she brought me out a coke and set in front of me, already knowing what I liked. I thanked her and she grinned at me before scurrying back to the kitchen to bark out orders at her husband who was the main chef. I relaxed in my seat and took a deep breath, tracing lines of condensation on my glass. My phone rang and I fished it out of my pocket, glancing at the caller ID. I sighed and answered.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Edward, we were wondering if you're going to be home for dinner?" Dad's voice was quite and subdued, like it had been for the last four fucking years. I looked around the restaurant and sighed my relief that I'd bailed out of town.

"No."

There was a small pause and dad sighed.

"Alright son. Drive safe. We'll see you when you get home." He ended the call and I tossed my phone down on the table. I loved the freedom my parents gave me. They both knew that I was a good student, and I didn't ever go looking for trouble, and rarely found it, so they were okay with me taking off a lot. So long as I got my shit done and didn't get arrested.

Mimi brought out a bowl of yellow curry for me and I smiled at her.

"Thanks." I murmured. She patted my shoulder and gave me a warm, motherly smile.

"Enjoy sweet boy." She gestured to the bowl again and grinned before going back to the kitchen. The food was sweet and spicy and absolutely delicious, as it always was.

I finished off the entire bowl in record time and Mimi laughed at me. "Hungry boy!" she cried. I smirked.

"Not anymore." I patted my stomach for emphasis and she laughed. "Thanks Mimi." I told her. It was so much easier to be nice, charming even, to people who just didn't know me. Mimi was easy going and never asked personal questions. It was one of the reasons I kept coming back here.

"Good. You are a good boy." She patted my arm again and took the bowl away, brining out my bill and a fortune cookie. I chuckled at the fortune cookie and paid the bill. I cracked the cookie in half and pulled out the slip of paper, turning to read it while I munched on the cookie.

_When all else seems to fail, smile for today and just love someone._

I glared down at the fortune in my hand. What kind of bullshit was this? Where were the standby fortunes of luck and prosperity? What fresh hell was this?

Aggravated again, I shoved the paper in my pocket and stood to leave, giving Mimi and Frank a wave as I left the restaurant.

I drove around Olympia for a while longer before deciding that I should head home.

I drove only a little slower heading back, stopping once in Aberdeen to appreciate the birthplace of Curt Cobain, before heading back to Forks.

By the time I got home, it was nearly midnight and everyone was asleep. I walked into the house silently, setting the alarm before heading up to my room. I paused outside of Alice's door on my way but then shook my head and continued up. Alice understood why I was the way I was. She didn't need to hear excuses or apologies for it.

Instead I went upstairs to my room and ripped off my shirt and jeans before flopping down on my bed and sighing. My eyes started to shut and dark images of a girl with brown hair and big scared eyes filled my mind. I sat up, swearing under my breath.

Wanting to block out all the nightmares I could feel clawing at my head, I headed downstairs and grabbed a bottle of whiskey, taking it upstairs with me. I hated drinking myself to sleep, but some nights, it was all I could do.

Knocking back a shot of the whiskey, I sighed and settled on my bed. Tonight was going to be a long fucking night.


	3. Chapter 3

- CHAPTER THREE -

BELLA

The next day, Emmett and I made a trip to Port Angeles in search for some used furniture for our new rooms. I found a beautiful wrought iron double bed frame and a simple white iron bedside table I planned on painting gold, as well as a small cheap black desk and chair. Emmett settled on buying a low black wood bed frame and a simple black nightstand. Because Em was buying a king sized bed (he was too tall for any other size bed), he kept the furniture in his room to a minimum.

After hauling all of our purchases home and setting them up in our rooms, I set out to the grocery store to start getting things for dinner.

I was in the middle of examining a couple tomatoes when a bright airy voice called out my name. I blinked and stood up, looking around for anyone I recognized. A petite girl with dark brown hair and bright green eyes was waving at me across the store. She rushed forward, weaving through shoppers and fruits on display before appearing in front of me. She threw her tiny arms around me and pulled me into a surprisingly hard hug.

"Bella it's so nice to finally meet you!" She cried happily. "I'm Alice Cullen, Charlie has told me all about you." She pulled away from me and gave me a smile so warm I had no choice but to return it.

"Oh yeah, hi Alice. He mentioned you yesterday." At my words, Alice's smile went mega watt.

"Oh he is such a sweetie!" She cried, looping her arm through mine. "What are you up to? Can I help with anything?"

I glanced down at my basket and shrugged. "I'm just shopping." I said lamely. Alice grinned.

"A specialty of mine." She winked at me and snatched the list from my hand. Her eyes flitted over it quickly then went over the contents of my basket. "Come on, I can help you while we chat!" She led the way then toward the bread isle as she launched into conversation. "Charlie has been going on about you and Emmett for so long that I feel like I already know you! I've been begging him for years to have you guys visit him but he told me it was cheaper for him to fly out there." Alice glanced at me and I nodded in confirmation. "I told him I wanted to go with him next time he went down to visit but my parents wouldn't let me go." She frowned then and waited for me to select a loaf of bread. I snatched three and dropped them in the cart. When she raised an eyebrow at me I shrugged.

"Brother." I said by way of explanation. Alice rolled her eyes.

"Oh I know all about that! I have a brother too and he eats like a pig. I swear he's got worms or something because he can pack away food like no one's business." I laughed and she grinned, looping her arm through mine again and leading me away to tackle the next item on my list.

Despite her intensity, Alice was actually really easy going and really easy to talk to. I found myself laughing along with her jokes and listening as she told me stories of her friends and life in Forks. She was, as I found out, incredibly down to earth and incredibly loyal which I immediately admired.

By the time I was done grocery shopping, Alice and I were both in giggles and it felt like we had known each other for ages rather than an hour.

"Oh Bella, we have to hang out this weekend before you start at school." Alice insisted as we loaded items up onto the conveyer belt in the checkout line. "Seriously. You and Emmett have to come hang out with us. It'll be small, just my boyfriend Jasper and my best friend Rose. We can all go to Port Angeles and see a movie or something."

I smiled at her as I placed the last item on the belt. "Yeah Alice, that'd be a lot of fun." I told her. Her smile was blinding as she whipped out her phone.

"What's your number?" I relayed the digits to her as I paid for the groceries, and she stuffed her phone back in her purse and helped me pick up bags to carry out to the truck. "Bella I am so glad that I ran into you." She enthused. I smiled at her as we placed the groceries in the cab of the truck I had borrowed from Em.

"Yeah me too Alice." I said sincerely. Alice reached out and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Okay, I gotta get going. I was supposed to be running to the store for some olive oil." She rolled her eyes and grinned at me. "I'll call you tomorrow okay? I think we're going on Sunday but I'll let you know for sure."

I nodded and waved goodbye to her before climbing into the truck.

When I got home Emmett came out to help me carry in groceries and noticed I couldn't stop grinning.

"What are you smiling about Bells?" He asked cocking an eyebrow at me. I grunted as I grabbed an especially heavy bag from the front seat and Emmett came over, immediately relieving me of it. He made it look like it weighed a couple of ounces.

"I met Alice Cullen." I explained, grabbing a different bag that weighed less. Emmett frowned in confusion. "Dr. Cullen's daughter. Remember dad was telling us about her." I prompted. I watched Emmett's face as he sorted through memories before recognition came across his face.

"Oh right! Cullen. Cool, how was she?" We moved into the kitchen and Em set the groceries down on the table while I began unloading them.

"She was amazing. She's hilarious and super down to earth. She's going to call me tomorrow because she wants us to hang out with her and her friends." I said shoving the milk into the fridge. Emmett nodded and started opening the bags to help me unload.

"Sounds cool. Was she hot?"

I rolled my eyes at him and he snickered. "She's stunning." I said hopping up to stack some cans of beans in the cabinet. Emmett moved me aside and easily placed the cans on the shelf. "Thanks." I said handing him a few more. He nodded and continued stacking. "She's got a boyfriend though so I don't think you'll be in much luck." I continued. Emmett shrugged.

"Maybe she'll have hot friends." He said wiggling his eyebrows. I laughed and rolled my eyes at him. We continued unloading the groceries and then I got started on dinner.

"So how are you feeling about school?" Em asked settling down at the small table in the kitchen. I glanced over at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Are you excited?"

I turned back to the cutting board in front of me and pondered my feelings. Was I excited? To be honest no. "I don't want to be the new kid." I said after a moment. "I hate the attention." Out of the corner of my eye I could see Emmett nod in understanding. "Plus, Forks is tiny compared to Phoenix. Everyone is going to know everyone there."

Emmett chuckled. "I'll be sure to try to attract as much attention to myself as possible." He promised. I turned and gave him a mock serious glare.

"You better." I growled. We both erupted into laughter and easily got into the groove of hanging out in the kitchen. It was something we did a lot when we lived down in Phoenix. While mom worked on some project or another, Em and I would retreat to the kitchen to cook and make sure we kept on eating, or we'd go out and do yard work together. We had become a well-oiled machine and though we never spoke about it, most of why we did everything like that was to hang out together. Emmett was my best friend. He'd been there for everything in my life and I knew I could count on him for anything. When all the shit had gone down in Phoenix, Em had been the only one on my side. He'd gotten me the hell out of there and I was eternally grateful for that.

I looked over at my big brother who was talking away about school sports, and smiled at him. Yeah, nothing could ever come between us. I was sure of it.

...

The next day Alice called just before noon. "Bella? I talked to Rose and Jazz. We're going tomorrow for some lunch and then an early movie. Are you and Emmett interested in going?" She asked before I could get much more than hi out. I laughed and nodded though she couldn't see me.

"Yeah Alice. That sounds really great." I said honestly. I could practically see her mega watt smile over the phone.

"Fantastic! I'm so excited for you to meet them. Jasper is amazing and Rose is the best friend anyone could ask for. They both are going to love you guys." She enthused. I laughed again.

"They sound really great Alice." I said shifting the phone to my other ear as I picked up my paintbrush again. I was just finishing second coatings of gold in my room today and then I'd be done.

"They are. So are you. We are going to be really great friends Bella." Her words, as surprising and unexpected as they were, warmed me and I couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks Alice. That really means a lot to me. I think we will be too." I said quietly. I had never met anyone so warm and outgoing before.

"Ah I'm so excited!" She squealed suddenly. "What are you doing today? Are you free to hang out?" She asked, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm just painting some stuff for my room, but you're more than welcome to come over." I offered. She let out a sound then that sounded like a cheer and a squeal.

"Interior decorating. Fun!" She cried happily. "I'll be over in a flash!" She promised. I chuckled.

"Sounds good. See you in a few." I said hanging up. I set my phone down on my bed and chuckled again.

It took Alice all of seven minutes to make it to the house. There was a cheery knock on the door and without looking out the window, I knew it was her.

Setting my paintbrush down, I went out of my room and headed down the stairs to open the door. Both dad and Emmett were at work, leaving me the house.

"Hey Alice!" I said opening the door. She grinned and pulled me into another deceptively strong hug.

"Hey Bella!" She chirped letting me go. "Wow you are really pretty." She said when she pulled away from me. Despite the abruptness of her compliment, I found, surprisingly, that it didn't bother me or make me uncomfortable. Instead I barked out a laugh and smiled.

"Uh thanks? So are you." I said giggling. She grinned at me and skipped further into the house.

"Where's Charlie?" She asked looking around. I shrugged.

"The station. And my brother isn't here either so I suppose you're going to have to wait to meet him." I said before she could ask. She looked disappointed about that, but then perked up again almost immediately.

"Well I'll see him tomorrow. Can I see your room? Charlie showed it to me before and I begged him to let me redo it." She said giggling. "I'm sorry, but that room screamed little girl of the nineties." She declared. I laughed again as I led her upstairs.

"Yeah no kidding. I gutted it as soon as I could." I said opening the door to my room. Alice walked in and looked around with wide eyes. She studied the green walls and the gold trim, before turning a critical eye on my quote. Finally she turned to me and grinned.

"Bella, it looks amazing. Interesting colours you chose." She said settling on my bed, which was still in a desperate need of new sheets. I shrugged and picked up the paintbrush again, continuing on with the window frame.

"Yeah, they aren't my usual colours, but when I saw the chip at the store," I paused and shook my head. "I don't know. Something about it drew me in." I said quietly. Those amazing emerald eyes flashed in my mind again and I sighed heavily before shaking myself out of my daydreams and looking over at Alice. She was watching me curiously, but made no comment.

"Well what are you going to do about sheets?" She asked patting my bed. I sighed and shrugged.

"I haven't decided yet." I told her. She nodded and grinned.

"Well finish up with your paint. I want to take you to Port Angeles. I know this adorable little boutique there. A friend of my mom's runs it and she makes these adorable bedroom sets." She decided. I smiled.

"Yeah that sounds really great." I said surprising myself. It was surprising how easy it was to be friends with Alice. It was like we'd known each other our whole lives.

"Great, you finish up painting and I'll tell you all about the people you're going to meet Monday." She said settling back on my bed. I grinned and got back to work as she yammered on.

I finished up pretty quickly with the paint, and as soon as I'd cleaned up and changed into some jeans that weren't paint stained, Alice led me out of the house to a bright yellow sports car. I stared at in shock and she looked at me with a brilliant smile. "Isn't it gorgeous? When I was ten, I got my parents to promise to get me this car for my sixteenth birthday if I had perfect grades and kept up ballet. It was the easiest deal I've ever made." She giggled. I laughed and shook my head. She must come from some serious money if her parents had got her that for her sixteenth birthday. "Hop in Bella. We've got to get on the road." She said sliding into the driver's seat.

The drive to Port Angeles flew by in Alice's sports car, and between her witty conversation and funny anecdotes, I hardly noticed the speed at which we were flying.

We arrived in Port Angeles way faster than I had expected to and Alice maneuvered us easily down Front Street. She stopped in front a small boutique and grinned. "This is it!" She said getting out of the car. I scrambled out after her and followed her inside. There was a woman with dark brown hair and rich caramel skin standing inside the shop, eying two fabrics with a scrupulous eye.

"Hello Carmen!" Alice said as soon as we were inside. The woman turned and gave us a smile that flooded me with warmth.

"Ali mija!" She exclaimed, holding out her arms and pulling Alice into a hug. "What are you doing here?" She asked. Alice pulled away from the hug and turned to me.

"Carmen this is Bella. She's Charlie's daughter, the one I was telling you about."

I was only slightly surprised Alice had told this woman about me. Alice didn't seem to have too many secrets.

"Of course! Bella, what a gorgeous name." She said pulling me into a hug. She smelled like citrus and spices and instantly made me miss Phoenix. "It's nice to finally meet you." She said pulling away and holding me at arm's length.

"It's nice to meet you too. Alice tells me you're the one to go to for some linens?" I asked. Carmen's face lit up.

"Of course mija! What colours?" She asked.

"Well her room is a forest green with gold and black accents." Alice started, easily taking over the conversation. I smiled at her gratefully. I would have named the colour just green. "I was thinking some white and gold sheets would really be gorgeous." She said looking at me for approval. I nodded.

"I trust you Alice."

Her smile turned blinding and she pulled me into a tight hug before turning back to Carmen. I smiled at them as the spoke quickly about colours and offsets and accents. This was not really a world I knew much about, so I was grateful Alice was here to help me out with it.

"Oh I know just the thing." Carmen said dashing to the back of the store and coming back moments later. She had a white duvet cover in her hands and she set it down on a table near us, unfolding part of it so we could see the detail. All along the edge were embroidered little gold stars and swirls. It was absolutely perfect and I fell in love with it immediately.

"It's perfect." I breathed. Carmen grinned.

"I made this one myself." She said proudly. I stared at her in shock.

"Carmen is amazing. All of her work is hand made." Alice gushed. I looked back down at the duvet and sighed wistfully. There was no way I'd be able to afford something so amazing.

"How much is it? I'm not sure I could afford something so beautiful." I said frowning. Alice and Carmen both made noises of objects at me.

"This is on me." Alice insisted. I stared at her in shock and started to object when Carmen cut me off.

"And of course I'd give you a discount. Any friend of Ali's." She said sweetly. I stared at the women in shock.

"Alice, I can't let you pay for this." I said finally finding my voice.

"Nonsense Bella. Consider this a welcome present." She said fishing out her wallet. I stared at her in shock as she turned to Carmen. "We'll take the set." She decided firmly. Carmen nodded.

"How about curtains?" She asked. Alice's eyes went wide.

"Do you have matching ones?" She asked excitedly. Carmen nodded.

"They're gossamer with the same embroidery." She explained. They both turned to me and I stood there, gaping at them like a fish.

"That sounds amazing." I said finally. They both smiled at me warmly and turned back to talking about thread counts and bed sizes. I just stood there, completely stunned.

"Great, I'll take this up and start packaging it up. Feel free to look around girls." Carmen said gesturing to the rest of her store. Alice nodded and dove into the closest pile of scarves near us.

"Isn't she the best?" She gushed. I nodded mutely.

"Alice, I feel really bad about this." I told her quietly. She looked at me in surprise.

"Why?" She asked.

"I can't let you spend all that money on me. It's not right." I protested. Alice huffed.

"Do you like the sheets?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah but," she cut me off.

"Do you need new sheets?" She asked. I nodded again. "Were you going to go to Walmart and buy some cheap low thread count ones?" She asked. I couldn't help but snicker at the way she sneered at the very idea.

"Yeah probably." I said smirking. Alice nodded firmly.

"Then Bella, as your self proclaimed new best friend, I can't let you suffer through something like that." She said settling her hands on my shoulders. "You deserve Egyptian Cotton." She said firmly. I stared at her and just shook my head.

"You might be insane." I decided. She grinned at me then and turned back to the pile of scarves.

"But I'm right. Please Bella, don't feel bad about this. I can afford to do it and it makes me really happy to buy things for other people." She said quietly. I studied her sincere face a moment before sighing.

"Fine." I grumbled. She grinned and hugged me tight. "But I reserve the right to buy you something to pay you back, even if I can't even hope to compare." I grumbled. Alice giggled.

"Deal."

I smiled at her and we continued to examine the scarves and jewelry in the shop before Alice finally decided she absolutely had to have a light purple silk scarf that cost more than I could ever justify paying for a scarf. She paid for our purchases, and with one last hug from Carmen, we bid her farewell and headed back out to the car.

"Thank you Alice. Really." I said as we set the bags in the trunk. She grinned.

"Come on Bella, it was totally my pleasure. I love buying people gifts." She said enthusiastically. I smiled.

"Well usually I hate receiving them, but I can see that it really makes you happy, so I won't gripe too much about it." I teased. She giggled and hopped in the car.

"Good."

By the time we made it back to my house, both dad and Emmett were home. There was also a black truck and a motorcycle parked outside the house. I stared at the foreign vehicles curiously. Alice parked behind the cruiser and we climbed out of the car. "It looks like you guys have guests." She said examining the cars.

"I can't imagine who it would be." I said frowning.

Alice and I each grabbed a bag and headed inside the house. The moment we opened the door we heard loud shouts and boisterous laughter coming from the living room. We wandered in there and I sighed when I saw all the guys gathered around the TV watching hockey. It looked like Emmett had brought Jake back home along with all his friends. Dad was sitting in his recliner next to a man who I vaguely recognized to be Jake's dad, Billy, though the last time I had seen him he hadn't been in a wheelchair.

"Bells!" Emmett shouted, causing everyone to look over at us. I blushed under all the attention. "Who's you're friend?" Em asked loudly. I licked my lips and fidgeted.

"Alice. This is my brother Emmett." I said quickly introducing them. Alice gave Em a warm smile, which he returned.

"Nice to meet you." She said happily. "Hey Charlie, Billy. You two are looking good." She said winking at them. I barely contained my eye roll at her. Dad and Billy both gave her warm smiles.

"Did you girls go shopping?" Dad asked. I nodded and clutched the bag tighter.

"Yeah, in fact we're going to go put this all away." I said ushering Alice upstairs before I could be fully introduced to anyone.

"Jeez Bella. Antisocial much?" Alice giggled as soon as we got to my room. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"You want to go down there in the middle of testosterone central?" I asked. She giggled and shook her head.

"Nah I'm good. I want to decorate your room." She declared. I laughed and nodded. Together we got to work making my bed and hanging my new curtains.

When we were finished, my room looked absolutely amazing.

"Alice, I can't thank you enough." I said shaking my head. She grinned at me.

"Don't worry about it Bella. I love your room. My mom is going to love it too." She said setting her hands on her hips before pulling out her cell phone and snapping photos. I laughed.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I have to take photos for Carmen and my mom. They are both going to want to see this." She said turning around the room and snapping away photos. I laughed at her and settled down on my bed.

An involuntary moan left my lips as I settled in against the amazing sheets. Alice laughed at me and flopped down next to me on the other side of my bed.

"Okay, I concede. You were so right." I said burrowing into the sheets. She giggled again.

"I told you." She said smugly. I laughed but didn't get up.

"Look what else I got you." She said standing and reaching into the bag she'd been carrying. She pulled out a beautiful gold blanket and I stared at her in confusion. "Get up." She insisted. I stood and she laid the blanket out on the bed. "Now you don't have to worry about the white sheet during the day when boys could come in and dirty it up." She said, looking mighty satisfied with herself. I smirked.

"And what boys are you planning to have come dirty my bed?" I asked. Alice giggled and flopped back down next to me.

"Whichever boy you want. Except Jasper. You can't have him." She said giggling. I laughed and nodded in agreement. We spent the next hour sitting and talking and laughing before eventually venturing downstairs for pizza. The guys were still all gathered so we retreated back to my room to keep talking. Alice was quickly becoming a very close friend and that made me really happy.

Eventually, Alice left to go home with a promise to meet up again tomorrow for the movie. With her gone, and my room finished, I had no other option than to go downstairs and join the guys who were still shouting around the TV. I walked in and perched on the armchair next to Emmett who looked up at me and smiled before turning his focus back on the game.

"So, it seems you and Alice really hit it off." Dad said looking over at me. I nodded.

"Yeah, she's really great." I enthused. Dad nodded.

"Bells you remember Billy Black right?" he asked, gesturing to his friend. I nodded and stood up so I could shake his hand. His grip was firm and warm and his eyes twinkled with his smile.

"Bella, it's so good to see you again. Last time I saw you, you were this tiny little thing with your nose stuck in a book." He said chuckling. Emmett barked out a laugh.

"Well nothing's changed." He said poking my side and making me yelp in surprise. I shot him a glare over my shoulder and looked back at Billy. He and dad were both laughing.

"Bella you remember Jake." Dad said gesturing behind me. I turned to give him a polite smile. He winked in return. "That's Embry, Quill and Seth." Dad explained. I nodded to all of them and they all nodded back. I couldn't help but notice that everyone had a beer in front of them, though I knew for a fact that none of them were old enough to drink them. I looked at dad and raised an eyebrow at him.

"They're only having one drink." He said understanding my look. "And they won't be driving for a few hours after so it'll all be out of their systems." He defended. I snorted. Some police chief he was.

"So I can get a beer?" I asked, just to test his limits. His mustache twitched and he frowned making me roll my eyes at him. "I'm getting a water. Anyone else want anything?" I asked standing. Requests for more chips were called out and I nodded, walking into the kitchen. I knew my dad was enjoying having Em back in his life to bond with and was trying to be cool about the drinking, but he set such a double standard. It was annoying, and if it was going to continue, I'd say something. However, I knew it wasn't likely that my dad would keep it up, so for now I could keep my mouth shut.

I reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water before turning the cupboard and pulling out the chips. I started to fill a bowl when I heard a noise behind me and turned around to see Jake smiling at me.

"Need any help?" He asked. I looked down at the bowl pointedly.

"I think I have it covered." I said smirking. He barked out a laugh and nodded.

"So," He started, causing me to turn and look back at him again. "How are you liking being back?" He asked settling across from me in the tiny kitchen and leaning against the counter top. I looked back down at the bowl of chips and shrugged.

"So far so good. Alice is really great." I said smiling down at the bowl. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jake nod.

"Did you leave a lot of friends back in Arizona?" He asked. I turned to look at him and settled against the counter, mirroring his position.

"A couple. Really it was mostly me and Em." I said snatching a chip and crunching on it. Jake nodded.

"What about a boyfriend?" He asked. I shifted uncomfortably. I knew exactly where this was going.

"I'm not dating right now." I said quietly.

"Why not?" He asked. He sounded annoyed and disappointed at the same time.

"Jake, I'm really flattered, but I'm really not looking to date right now." I said more firmly. He let his gaze wander down me a moment before he looked back at my face. I blushed, despite myself, and he smiled, thinking that his obvious perusal of my body had some sort of positive effect on me; instead of the annoyed it really made me.

"I think we'd be really great together." He announced. I sighed and shook my head.

"Sorry." I said grabbing the bowl and heading out of the kitchen. His big hand landed on my arm and he stopped me.

"Look, I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable." He said quietly. "There is something about you that makes me really forward." He said chuckling quietly. "I don't want to make things awkward, but I want you to know the options you have." He said quietly. I nodded but didn't respond. He gave me a small smile and let me go. I continued on into the living room and I set the bowl of chips on the coffee table. A course of thank you's floated toward me, but no one was really paying attention to me, so I snatched a beer off the table and wandered back up to my room, making sure to lock my door. I flopped down into the plush chair that I had found in Port Angeles with Emmett, and faced my window, sighing.

I sat in the comfy chair and drank my beer, growing steadily more and more antsy.

By the time I finished off the drink, I was ready to get out of the house again.

Grabbing my coat and my phone, I walked down stairs and quickly shouted to my dad I was going out for a walk, barely waiting for a response before leaving.

The night air was crisp and cool, and the sky was surprisingly clear for once.

Hugging my arms around myself I took off away from the house without any destination in mind.

I walked for a while until I came across a small playground. Spotting a swing set, I set my course and made a beeline for them. I loved swinging when I was a kid, and loved it even more now. I settled down on a swing and sighed, letting myself fall into a smooth, familiar rhythm of pumping my legs and kicking them out.

Soon I was flying and I couldn't help the smile on my face or the exhilarating rush as I soared back and forth through the air. I stayed and swung for a while before the cold finally got to me and forced me back home.

Thankfully, when I returned, everyone had gone home, so I walked in silently and slipped upstairs to my room without much hassle.

When I fell into bed a few minutes later, I couldn't help but let out a quiet prayer of thanks for Alice Cullen and her ridiculously expensive purchase, just to make me comfortable.

...

The next morning I woke up around eight, but didn't get out of bed until almost nine thirty. My sheets were just too damn soft and amazing, something I could see being a problem down the line when I had early mornings of school waiting for me.

When I finally dragged myself out of bed, I hopped in the shower and then dressed before heading downstairs to see Emmett on the sofa, a bowl of cereal on his lap as he watched Sunday morning cartoons. I grabbed my own bowl and sat with him.

"So what time we meeting everyone today?" Emmett asked about an hour later.

"Uh around twelve thirty." I said glancing at the clock. We would have to be going soon. Emmett nodded and flipped to another channel where a different cartoon was just starting.

We sat there in harmonious silence and watched cartoons for another forty minutes before cleaning up and getting ready to leave the house.

When we arrived at the predetermined restaurant, I spotted Alice easily. She was like a ray of sunshine in the dreary town. She wore a bright yellow sweater and dark blue jeans with some beautiful brown boots that went up to just below her knee. She was, as she had been every time I'd seen her, perfectly styled and together. She was smiling at a blond girl I couldn't really see, and cuddling close to another blond man next to her. As soon as she spotted me she jumped up and waved me over with her mega watt grin.

"Bella!" She cried yanking me into a hug as soon as I was close enough. I didn't even mind; her exuberance was contagious.

"Thanks for calling us. Alice, you met my brother Emmett yesterday, but he was pretty rude and caught up in his game." I said when we pulled apart. Alice turned to Emmett and pulled him into a hug that seemed to surprise him. He laughed and hugged her back, not missing a beat.

"Man you are a tiny little thing." Emmett said when they pulled apart. Alice grinned.

"Small and mighty." She said bringing up her tiny bicep and flexing it. Emmett let out a booming laugh and everyone in the restaurant looked over at us curiously. Alice grinned and gestured to the blonds in the booth. "Bella, Emmett, this is my boyfriend Jasper and my best friend Rose."

I smiled at both of them. They were both stunning, almost heart wrenchingly so. I wondered for a quiet moment, what was in the water in Forks. It seemed statistically impossible for there to be so many gorgeous people lurking about here.

"So nice to meet you guys." I said sincerely. Jasper gave me a friendly nod and Rose sent me a dazzling smile before turning her attention to Emmett. When I glanced back at him it seemed to me that he was star struck, staring at Rose with a slack jaw and huge eyes. I giggled at him but he didn't even notice.

"Sit sit!" Alice instructed, shoving Emmett into the booth next to Rose and pulling me in next to her and Jasper. "So how is it going?" She asked me. I shrugged.

"Pretty much the same as it was going yesterday." I said smirking. She rolled her eyes as Jasper chuckled. Rose and Emmett were lost in conversation and puppy dog eyes at each other.

"How were your sheets?" She asked. I smiled dreamily and she giggled.

"I swear Alice, I almost didn't get out of bed this morning. They were amazing. Thank you again." I said sincerely. She just waved her hand at me.

"Please, it was so my pleasure." She said giggling. I smiled at her.

"So how are you liking Forks Bella?" Jasper asked, leaning an elbow on the table and looking past Alice toward me. I shrugged.

"I'm fairly certain they started putting something in the water or something because I don't remember there being this many gorgeous people in Forks." I blushed as soon as the words were out of my mouth and Alice let out a trilling laugh. There was my lack of brain to mouth filter at work, again.

"Honey, all the gorgeous people have been imported in. Just look at you and Emmett." Alice said winking at me. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Yeah, I'm single handedly contributing to make Forks the new fashion capitol of the world." I replied snarkily. Alice and Jasper both laughed and Alice hugged me.

"You are so ridiculous Bella. Don't you know how beautiful you are?" She said through her giggles. I couldn't help but laugh at _her _ridiculousness.

"You know who she reminds me of?" Jasper asked arching an eyebrow at his girlfriend. Alice looked back at me quickly, studying me before looking back at him; her expression looked alarmed and then worried.

"No Jazzy." And somehow it was clear that she wasn't asking him to elaborate, but that she wanted him to drop it. He conceded and turned his attention to Emmett and Rose.

"My God you are beautiful." Emmett exclaimed. Rose blushed prettily and Emmett didn't even seem fazed by his own inability to keep his thoughts to himself. _It must be a genetic trait passed down to us._ I smirked at my own thoughts.

"So, where are all you from?" I asked looking back at Alice and Jasper.

"My family moved from Chicago." Alice explained. "And Jazz is from Texas. Rose is from New York." She explained. I shook my head.

"Chicago, Texas, New York? Why the hell would you all come here?"

Everyone exploded into laughter, including Emmett and Rose who had just clued in on our conversation.

"Self exile." Rose said, causing me to look over at her. "My parents are socialites in New York and I was sick of the life. I came out here to live with my aunt a couple years ago."

Her explanation surprised me though I found I liked her more because of it. She seemed like a real down to earth person and judging by the way she and Emmett had been eying each other, I had a feeling I'd be seeing a lot of her around.

"My dad was stationed at what is now the Joint Base Lewis-McChord." Jasper said. "It's down closer to Olympia and he spent a lot of time there. When he got out, he met my mom and they moved back to Texas, but eventually he decided he wanted to live back up here. Texas just didn't hold the same appeal."

"You can thank my mom for the Cullen transfer." Alice said giving a smile to Jasper then turning to me. "She's really into botany and she's wanted to live in the Pacific Northwest forever. When a job opened up at the little hospital in town, dad decided it was time to make a move." She paused and something that looked like grief flickered across her face. I frowned at her but she shook her head, drawing herself out of her funk, and gave me a brilliant smile, back to perky. "Of course I was furious at first, I mean, you don't take a Cullen out of Chicago, that's like taking a dolphin out of the ocean!" She exclaimed animatedly. Jasper and Rose laughed and I figured they must have heard this rant before. "And I was 14! I was on the cusp of being old enough to participate in all the good things Chicago has to offer!" She was nearly screaming now and Jasper placed his hand on her shoulder, effectively calming her down. She took a deep breath then nodded. "Sorry. But as you can see, I was really upset about this." Emmett snickered and Alice ignored him. "Anyway, I had plans on just ignoring my family until I was 18 and could move back to Chicago when I met Jazz." She turned and looked at him lovingly. "He was the cutest boy in the whole school and it was just like, Bam!" she clapped her hands for emphasis. "Love at first sight."

Jasper smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Same here Darling." It was then I noticed the slight drawl on his words and even I had to admit how swoon worthy it was.

A waitress came over then to take our orders and after I had given her mine, I glanced out the window of the restaurant. A flash of copper hair caught my eye and I sat up, intrigued. He was standing across the street, staring down at his iPhone and frowning. He was wearing the same leather jacket and similar jeans as the first time I'd seen him, but added with a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses and I was practically panting. Talk about swoon worthy. He looked up then and started down the block out of sight. I sighed watching him go and couldn't help but notice his amazing ass.

"Bel-la!" Alice sang, dragging my attention back to her. I blushed when I realized I'd been ignoring everyone. "What were you doing?" She giggled.

"Uh, just thinking." I mumbled.

"She spaces out a lot." Emmett supplied. Alice nodded in understanding and quickly turned the conversation back to the topic of the movie we'd go see.

We ate lunch quickly then headed over to the theater where we decided on some RomCom that I had never heard of. I hardly paid attention because I was so distracted by the guy with the copper hair. I couldn't get him out of my mind, and that pissed me off.

By the time we got home from the movie, I was full on anxious. I'd never felt so restless in my life and it was really bothering me that I couldn't find any sort of peace.

It wasn't raining out for a change and the temperature was actually decent, so slipping on some work out clothes and my running shoes, I took off on a jog to clear my head.

I wasn't exactly sure where I was headed; I just knew I needed to keep going. I headed north of town, wanting to run along the Sol Duc river. I kept running until I was out of breath and then pushed on a bit further. I finally collapsed when I came upon a small clearing just off the river. It was beautiful and tranquil and I dropped down onto my back, sucking in breaths as deep as I could. My heart pounded in my chest and I willed my body to come down from the endorphin rush.

Eventually my breathing evened out and my heart slowed down to a normal pace and I was able to sit up and actually appreciate the field around me. It was beautiful and lush with small wild flowers sticking up through tall blades of grass. I could hear the dull roar of the river behind me and sighed, shutting my eyes. This had to be what heaven looked and sounded like.

I stayed in the clearing for a while longer until the clouds above me started to turn dark and threatening. Then, and only then did I drag myself up on to my feet and headed home. I made sure to remember the route so that I'd be able to find the clearing again. It would have been such a shame to lose something so beautiful.

When I got home, both Emmett and dad jumped on me about disappearing on them. I hadn't even thought to alert anyone I was leaving and guilt swept over me. "Sorry." I mumbled downing a glass of water. "I went out on a run."

That got me a lecture from dad about running by myself in the forest and another lecture from Emmett about running by myself in general. Back in Phoenix Em and I had a set route we ran together. Occasionally I ran on my own, but I almost always went with him just because it was safer.

"Bells, you know how accident prone you are!" Emmett yelled. "What if you had tripped and landed in some ditch. No one would be able to find you!"

I knew on some level he was right, though he was being really over dramatic about it. We settled the argument by me agreeing to take my phone with me next time I went out.

After the confrontation with dad and Em, I headed upstairs for a shower before collapsing in bed. That night I dreamed of blazing red hair and seductive green eyes.

…

"Good morning Bells." I looked up from the stove where I was flipping pancakes and smiled at my dad.

"Hey dad." I offered him a plate of food and his eyes lit up.

"Thinks kiddo." He said reaching out to ruffle my hair. I didn't protest the action like I wanted to. I knew my dad was still adjusting to the fact that I was seventeen and not seven anymore. It would take him some time. "You excited for school?" He asked settling down at the table. I poured him a mug of coffee and slid it over to him.

"Sure." I said shrugging. Dad nodded but made no further comment.

A few minutes later Em came down and also reached out to ruffle my hair. I jabbed him in the stomach with my elbow and he winced, retracting his hand. He smiled playfully at me and grabbed his own plate of food.

All three of us sat together in relative silence until dad had to leave for work. He took up his plate and stuck it in the dishwasher before giving me an awkward one-armed hug and waving to Emmett, wishing us good luck on our first day back.

"You know Bells, the more time we spend with him, the more I understand you." Emmett joked. I glared at him across the table as he laughed.

"I'm not that awkward." I growled.

"No, you're worse." Emmett was positively glowing this morning and I could tell that it had taken a lot of self-control on his part to keep from cracking jokes while our dad had still been home.

Em and I finished breakfast and cleaned up before heading out to school.

The town of Forks had approximately 3,552 residences, 54 if you added Emmett and me. Our high school in Phoenix had had approximately the same number of students. I knew that Forks High School would be small, but I just wasn't prepared for how small.

The tiny campus held a whopping total of 279 students, in all four grades. I stared at the student lot and then looked over at Emmett who seemed just as shocked as I was at the size of it.

"It's going to be like sitting in a fish bowl." Em whispered staring up at the small brick school after we parked.

"Yup." I sighed. Emmett glanced at me.

"You up for it?"

I looked at my brother and shrugged. "What choice do I have?" He didn't answer because he knew, just like I did that the answer was none.

"It's only a few more months." He reminded me. "Then we're graduating." Emmett and I were only fourteen months apart in age and had been in the same grade since I skipped first to join him in second. It was about then that mom and dad were going through the divorce and Em and I stuck together more than ever.

With one last look at each other, we both nodded and climbed out of the truck.

The stares were immediate and I felt myself itching to run away. Emmett reached out and hooked a large beefy arm around my neck, bringing me closer to him. "Just do your thing Bells. Let me know if you need any help." He whispered. I nodded in response and he gave me a small smile, releasing me. We walked to the front office where the staring continued and an older woman with graying curly brown hair provided us with class schedules and forms to have all our new teachers sign.

As soon as we stepped out of the cramped office where everyone had stopped to stare at us, I felt marginally better.

"Okay, I'll see you later Bells." Em said nudging me softly and nodding in my direction before taking off to find his locker. I nodded.

"Later." I mumbled. I looked down at my schedule and quickly tried to force myself to memorize it. It was relatively easy. Spanish IV first thing followed by US History then AP trigonometry then AP English. Lunch after that with AP biology and gym following that.

With a determined sigh, I hitched my backpack over my shoulder and went out in search of my locker.

…

All morning I was approached by different people, all apparently eager to know all about me and my life story. One girl, Jessica Stanley, seemed more interested in gossip than actually knowing me, but aside from that she was an alright person. She introduced me to lots of people whose names I couldn't remember and talked incessantly about people I didn't know.

Alice and Jasper were both in my history class, which I was pleased with, and I even got to join their group, making things infinitely easier for me. Rose and Emmett were in my AP Trig class as well and Jasper was in my AP English. Thankfully I managed to avoid Jessica and her nonstop gossip and questions through most of the classes by sticking with one of my new friends.

After English ended, Jazz and I headed toward the cafeteria together to meet up with Alice, Rose and Em.

"So how is your first day going?" Jazz drawled as we walked toward the cafeteria. I rolled my eyes.

"Torture."

Jazz laughed. "Don't like attention?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Not at all."

He laughed again and held the door open for me in the cafeteria.

"Oh Bella!" I heard my name being called and looked up to see Jessica waving at me. I quickly turned my attention to Jasper, praying she hadn't noticed me look over at her.

"Do not let me get sucked into that." I growled at him. He laughed and nodded, leading me toward the lunch line.

"Don't worry I won't. Ali would never forgive me." He said winking. I smiled at him and we got our food quickly before retreating to a table where Rose and Alice were seated. Emmett came over moments later and sat with us.

Lunch with the four of them was easy and relaxing even though I was now the fifth wheel. Emmett had apparently asked Rose out yesterday and I had completely missed it. They were going out sometime this week and couldn't keep their eyes to themselves.

I was happy for my brother. I'd never seen him like this with anyone and it was good to see him so happy.

"So Bella, see anyone who's caught your eye yet?" Alice asked leaning across Jazz to ask me. I blushed immediately thinking of the guy with red hair. I hadn't seen him since the short glimpse in Port Angeles so I shook my head.

"No." I said quickly picking up my apple and biting into it to deter any further questions. Alice eyed me as if she knew better but thankfully didn't say anything more.

…

When I walked into AP biology after lunch, I approached the teacher who was hunched over a large textbook, checking a sheet of paper against it. I cleared my throat and he looked up at me through thick glasses, giving me a startled look.

"Uh hi," I said awkwardly. "I'm Bella Swan. I just transferred." I held out the slip to him and he took it, looking down at it. He frowned then and looked up at me.

"You good at bio?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yes sir."

"Because I don't have room for someone who can't keep up." He said standing straighter. I nodded.

"You won't have problems from me sir. I took AP bio at my last school."

Mr. Banner nodded before signing the sheet. "Well then welcome to my class Miss Swan. I'm afraid there is only one seat left in my classroom. Back row, furthest table on the right, the seat by the isle." He said gesturing in the direction. I nodded.

"Thank you sir." I said taking the form from him.

"Oh and Miss Swan," I looked over at him and he gave me a small smile. "If you have problems with your lab partner, just talk to me."

Well that sounded fucking ominous. I gave him a small nod and he turned back to his notes. Frowning, I turned back around and headed to my seat. I plopped down on the stool and sighed.

People started trickling in and I groaned and slid further into my seat when I saw Jessica walk in with a blond guy she'd introduced me to before and who's name I couldn't remember.

My efforts were futile when Jessica spotted me and waved exuberantly, starting across the room toward me. Fortunately someone else caught her attention on her way over and she stopped to talk to the girl with corn silk hair a moment, keeping an eye on me to make sure I didn't disappear.

That's when the gorgeous guy from the diner walked into the room. I was surprised to see he was a student; he could easily have passed for college student or someone possibly even older. Perhaps it was the way he held himself, with an air of confidence and self-assuredness you didn't find in most teenagers.

His green eyes locked in on me and I felt myself stop breathing. He was even more deliriously gorgeous than I remembered.

The right corner of his mouth pulled up into a slight smirk as he saw me, and I watched with rabid interest as he lithely moved through the classroom toward me. I felt like prey being hunted and I had to fight to suppress the chill wanting to crawl down my spine. He stopped just in front of me and arched a thick brow at me, silently asking what I was doing.

Instead of responding, I arched my own brow back at him and we stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Finally his smirk grew a fraction of an inch and he set down his books next to me.

Without a word he moved around the table, his body so close to mine I could feel the heat radiating off of him, until he was perched on the stool next to me.

I am ashamed to admit I broke first. I looked down at the piles of books in front of me and took a deep breath. "Bella." I said quietly, looking straight ahead. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him smirk again and I had the insane urge to kiss that smirk right off his face.

I waited for him to supply his own name, and when he didn't, I scowled. "Well?"

He smirked. "Well what?" His voice was deep and melodious and rubbed over my skin like silk.

I sighed. "What's your name? I doubt the school would be happy with me screaming Jackass when I want to get your attention." I snapped. I was rewarded with a small smile that made me want to pass out. I glared at him pointedly, waiting for him to offer up his name. He just gazed back at me in amusement, knowing what I wanted but not willing to offer it up. My eyes narrowed on him after a few moments and he actually let out a soft chuckle.

"Edward." He said finally. I nodded, pleased that I'd been able to get it out of him. I turned back to look at my textbooks but felt his gaze burning me.

"What?" I snapped, looking back at him.

"You any good?" It was the most words he'd strung together when talking to me so far. I stared at him a long moment, trying to understand what he was asking while simultaneously trying to dig my mind from out of the gutter. _I bet he is amazing_. He gestured to the textbook in front of us and I glanced at it before understanding.

"Yes." I said glaring at him. He smirked again. I was really starting to love and hate that little smug smile. "You?"

His smirk grew into a small lopsided grin and I just about fell off my stool from the sheer beauty of it.

"Yes." He said simply. I forced my gaze away from him, unable to concentrate while he was in my line of view.

"Good." I mumbled. I saw him smile again but refused to look up and give him the satisfaction. Instead I forced my attention forward to Mr. Banner who was starting class.

* * *

**Alright all. Thank you so much for reading! This chapter was extra long because I'm not sure how often I'm going to be able to post. I'm going to be traveling around the world between mid June and August, so I'm not going to have much access to my computer. I'm going to try to have things written up ahead of schedule so that I can post them, but I can't guarantee anything. So here is an extra long chapter to sort of hold you over until I get back. Thanks again!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

- CHAPTER FOUR -

EDWARD

Her name was Bella and she was even more beautiful than I remembered.

When I walked into bio that afternoon, I noticed her immediately, seated at my table looking too fucking beautiful to be stuck in such a dreary little place. Not many people dared sit there, most people in this postage stamp sized town were too afraid to talk to me, something I encouraged as much as possible.

But there she was, looking stunning in a simple black hoodie and a Strokes tee shirt, her long brown hair spilling over her shoulders as she eyed Jessica Stanley warily. She looked past her then, and her beautiful brown eyes landed on me. I like to think I saw her breath catch, but that could have been wishful thinking.

She was funny and intelligent and easily picked up how to speak to me without words. Very few people had managed to do that before.

I found myself intrigued by her, and that was new for me. I hadn't met anyone I was willing to get close to, not in four years. I honestly thought I'd never meet anyone I'd be willing to get close to again, but one small conversation with Bella, and I knew I was hooked.

I stared at her the entire class. Whether she knew I was staring at her or not, I wasn't sure, but I just couldn't keep my eyes off her. She was just, extraordinarily beautiful, in a classic way that not a lot of girls were anymore. She didn't fuss and mess with herself, she was natural, something I was fairly certain no teenage girl in America was anymore.

I wanted her then, more than I had ever wanted anything, and that scared me. Those were very dangerous thoughts indeed.

When the bell rang, Bella gathered up her notebooks and glanced at me. A light blush slid across her cheeks when she saw me watching her. Interesting.

She stared back at me, unabashed for a moment, before her blush grew deeper. She ducked her head then and gripped her books and walked away. Shy Bella had returned.

I wondered, as I stood up and gathered my own things, how many Bella's there were and how soon I could meet them all.

I ditched my last class, feeling too restless to sit around with a sub anyway. I went out to my car instead and drove back to the house, knowing full on that neither one of my parents would be home yet. I parked the car in the garage then went inside and changed into some running clothes.

Grabbing my phone and my keys, I ran downstairs and out the back door.

My muscles welcomed the warm stretching as I started my run. It had been way too long since I'd run regularly.

I'd done it a lot after Chicago, trying to outrun my past. It never worked and eventually I grew slightly wary of trying.

Now I ran to clear my head. It didn't always work, but it was better than sitting around feeling self destructive and angry.

I neared my clearing off the Sol Duc River and pushed myself harder until I exploded into the tiny field. I stopped in the middle, bending over with my hands gripping my knees. My lungs were not as great as they used to be, and I knew that it was because of the damn smoking. I really needed to quit that shit soon.

Taking deep, burning lungfuls of air; I started pacing around the meadow, trying to cool down my muscles a bit. This place, this little field in the middle of fucking nowhere, was my sanctuary.

The sun struggled out then from behind the clouds and I pulled off my shirt enjoying the rare warmth. Sweat glittered against my skin in the sunlight and I took another deep breath, sitting down in the middle of the field. I lay back against the tall grasses and placed my right hand over my left shoulder.

Tracing the tattoo I knew so well I didn't have to look at it, I sighed and shut my eyes.

"I'm scared." I whispered to no one. "I want to get close to her. She's smart and funny and sharp." I huffed a laugh. "I want her in every way, but I can't have her." I opened my eyes and looked up at the cloudy sky. "I can't let anyone else down Bree. I just can't." The gentle breeze carried away my words, and as expected, I got none in return.

I lay in the field a while, trying not to feel anything, when the sound of light footfalls and breathing alerted me to another presence. I sat up slowly, and peaked over the tall grass.

A small brunette girl burst through the tree line and into the clearing. She was dressed in teeny tiny shorts and a tank top that she abruptly took off and tossed on the grass. I groaned at the sight of Bella's dark blue sports bra. She was so fucking sexy it was killing me.

I was almost certain she hadn't seen me, so I slunk a little lower in the grass to watch her. Creepy as fuck, I know, but it was the only way I knew how to be close to anyone anymore.

Bella stopped to collect her breath a few minutes before shaking her head and bending over to stretch. I groaned a little louder, and prayed she didn't hear me.

She was incredibly fucking flexible.

I continued to watch her like the pervert I am. She stretched a while, groaning as she moved her legs, before she finally sighed and settled down on top of a low rock. The sun came out again and highlighted her in warm yellow light.

She started talking to herself then, and the breeze carried her voice to me.

"Get a hold of yourself Swan." She growled, clutching at her hair. "He's not interested and you aren't either." She snapped. The look on her face contradicted her own words though. She looked very much interested in whatever she was thinking about. "Remember what happened last time." She snapped, and one of her hands went down to her hip, though I couldn't see what it was doing down there. Whatever it was, it seemed to give her motivation and she nodded her head firmly. "No more pain Bella. No more sadness."

Irrational, blinding rage stole over me at those words. Who dared hurt her? Who dared to make her sad? I'd rip them a-fucking-part if I ever found them.

Bella muttered to herself some more, but her words were unclear.

There was a ringing from her pocket and she pulled out a cell phone, glaring at it before answering.

"I'm out running." She explained. "No, I'm perfectly fine." She snapped. "Yes. I'll come home now." The expression on her face was comical. She looked pissed off and annoyed, an angry little kitten. "I'm fine!" She snapped again before ending the call. I chuckled quietly. Kitten had a temper. It was sexy as fuck. "I'm moving to a city the first chance I get." She growled, climbing down off the rock. "Follow me there, Em." She giggled then and shook her head. "Congratulations Bella. You're talking to yourself and plotting ways to get rid of the only person in this world who has ever been there for you." Her face fell a bit then and she sighed as she pulled on her shirt. She whispered something else but I didn't catch it, and then she was gone.

I sat in my spot in the grass a while longer before getting up as well and running home.

When I got back, dad was home staring at the fridge. I came into the kitchen and eyed him, moving around him to get a glass of water. "Mom and Alice are gone tonight." Dad explained. "I'm not sure what to do about dinner." He confessed. I downed my water and shrugged.

"The usual." I suggested. Dad sighed.

"I'm so fucking useless without your mom." He grumbled, closing the fridge. I smirked at him, because it was fucking true. "You think you can finish off a whole pizza tonight?" He asked, pulling out his phone. I nodded and settled on the counter as dad placed the order. "15 minutes." He told me, hanging up. I nodded again and sipped my water. "How are you?" Dad asked after a few minutes of silence. I shrugged noncommittally. "Look, I know you said you were done, but I spoke to Dr. Fisher today." I was up off the counter before he was done talking.

"No." I interrupted. Dad frowned and moved to block my path.

"Edward you need help." He was frowning at me, and I hated the worry I saw in his eyes. I looked just like my dad, but with my mom's colouring and seeing that look on his face pissed me off. Like looking in a fucking mirror.

"I'm fine." I snapped, not looking at him.

"No son, you're not." He reached out to put a hand on my shoulder, right above my tattoo and I looked up at him sharply. "I know what happened had a deep impact on you Edward, and I want you," I cut him off.

"No dad. You don't fucking know." I snarled. "You can't possibly know." Dad was quite because he knew I was fucking right.

"I want to help you." He said finally.

"Some people can't be helped." I growled, pushing past him. Dad sighed but didn't follow me as I took the stairs two at a time up to my room. I stripped down once I was inside and moved to the bathroom, turning on the shower.

Rage and regret and guilt and grief filled up in me, and the calm I'd achieved after my run, had vanished.

"Fuck." I shouted, picking up a small glass candleholder mom put up in my bathroom. I threw it as hard as I could and it shattered against the tile wall across from me. The sound ricocheted around the room but didn't help the emotions welling in me. Angrily, I stepped into the shower and tipped my head under the spray, that way when the tears spilled over, I could pretend they weren't really tears.

When I finally got out of the shower, there was a pizza box sitting on my desk, courtesy of my dad. I sat down to eat, flicking on my music to try to block out my thoughts.

…

_She was staring at me with this big brown eyes and I couldn't help the fluttery feeling in my stomach as I stared back at her. She was just so fucking beautiful._

_"What are you thinking?" She asked, and her voice was as rich as honey._

_"I'm thinking how about how much you are making me want you." I said honestly, and the smile that spread across her face was just, fucking perfect._

_"I want you too." She murmured, and I couldn't help but smile at the words. She moved closer to me and I realized she was wrapped in my arms, sitting in our field. It wasn't mine anymore, it was ours, and that felt good and right._

_"I'm scared to want you." I continued, since I apparently had absolutely no fucking filter. _

_Bella giggled and reached up to nip at my chin. It made me smile. "Yeah," She whispered against my skin, "Me too." He lips felt so damn good on my skin, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss her, so I reached up to cradle her face and brought her lips up to meet mine. She sank into the kiss immediately and I groaned. She tasted amazing, and I wanted more; I _needed_ more. "Edward." She groaned against me, shifting so that she was straddling my hips. I circled my arms around her tiny waist and held her flush against me. I just couldn't get fucking close enough. "Edward," She pulled away and held my head in her tiny little hands. "I love you." The words were expected and unexpected at the same time, and I felt my heart beat wildly at the declaration. I fucking loved her too. I didn't even know her, but I did. It defied all logic, all sense. It defied everything I knew, and yet, I'd never been more certain of my love for the girl there in my arms. _

_My mouth opened to repeat the words back to her, because I needed to, desperately. They were burning up inside of me, clawing at me to get out to her because she needed to know just how much she owned me, heart and soul._

_"Bella," I started._

_There was movement behind her head, and I glanced past her to the edge of the forest. The grass shifted again, and a different pair of big eyes looked up at me from the trees._

_"Edward." Bree whispered, and her sweet voice stabbed me in the fucking heart. "Edward you promised. You promised." _

_I started to stand, and Bella slipped out of my lap, and out of my arms._

_"Bree." I choked. She was too far away, I couldn't get to her fast enough. "Bree!" I shouted desperately. I ran toward her, but I was moving through quicksand, and the more I struggled, the more I sank. _

_"Edward!" Bella's voice called out to me and I turned to see her on the other side of the meadow, standing completely opposite of Bree. I was torn between them as I stared back and forth between them frantically. Where did I go? Who did I choose?_

Before I could decide, a blaring bell slammed through me and I jerked awake. My heart was racing and tears were streaming down my face. My throat was dry and scratchy, and I was almost certain that I had been shouting in my sleep.

"Fuck." I hissed, leaning my elbows up on my knees and fisting my hair. Tears slid past my shut lids and I tried to level my breathing. It took me forever, but eventually I calmed down, but the dream lingered and made me feel sick. Was I in love with Bella? I didn't even fucking know her, we'd hardly spoken and yet, she'd been on my every thought since she'd moved to town. The only other person who had occupied that much time on my mind in the past four years, was Bree.

Why was Bella so fucking important to me?

…

I had a major headache from my emotional roller coaster the night before, and as I moved around my room getting ready for school, I considered just staying home today.

The thought of seeing Bella though, was too tempting. Even though I knew I shouldn't, I wanted to see her again. She was like a drug and I found myself already hooked on her. I thought back on my dream again and shivered. I was so fucking screwed.

"Edward?"

I looked up from my desk at Alice, who was standing in my doorway anxiously.

"What?" I asked. I hated that I made her anxious. She was my fucking twin and she wasn't even comfortable around me anymore. God I was suck a fucking ass.

"My car won't start. Can I get a ride with you today?" She asked timidly. I nodded and stood.

"Yeah of course." I said quietly. Alice gave me a small smile and I tried to return the act. We walked down stairs and said goodbye to mom who was busy reading the paper and drinking her coffee. Alice and I climbed into my car and I pulled out of the garage, heading toward school.

"Edward?" She looked over at me with large green eyes, a shade or two brighter than mine, but similar nonetheless.

"Yeah?"

"I miss you." Her words startled me enough so that I had to pull the car over. She looked anxious as she watched me and I frowned.

"I'm sorry Ali." I whispered. Her eyes filled with tears. I hadn't called her Ali in years. We both knew it. "I miss you too." I admitted.

Tears fell down her cheeks and I felt like a monumental ass. "Are you ever going to let me in again?" She whispered.

"I can't Ali." I shut my eyes to stop my own tears as I thought about my dream last night. I couldn't imagine adding Alice in that situation. God knew what she'd say. "I can't put this shit on you."

"Edward, we are twins. If you can't confide in me, who can you confide in?" She asked, sounding slightly desperate. I hated it. I hated that she felt like she had to beg and plead to be let back into my life. I didn't deserve someone as generous and kind and loyal as Ali to be my sister. I deserved to suffer.

"No one Al." I murmured. I couldn't look at her, I couldn't see the heartbreak I knew would be written all over her face. Instead I pulled the car into drive and made our way to school. I pulled into the lot and parked in my usual spot. Ali looked at me once more, her expression imploring, but I couldn't meet her gaze. She sighed then and gathered her bag off the floor of the car.

"You're not alone Edward." She whispered. "I know you think you are and I know you think you deserve it, but you're not and you don't. There are people who love you and won't ever stop." Her voice was quiet as she spoke, but her words were loud as foghorns in my ears. "Maybe one day you'll meet someone you feel like you can trust." She murmured before slipping out of the car. Alice's words rattled through my brain and my mind went immediately to Bella. What the fuck did I think I was doing? I couldn't even talk to my own twin. How the hell did I think I'd be able to get close to a stranger? Bella was a good person; a kind soul and she didn't need a fucking monster like me to taint her.

My resolve slid into my heart like a knife but I stood by it. I'd leave Bella the fuck alone. She deserved more, better than my fucked up ass.

I climbed out of the car and took a deep breath, steeling my resolve. If I really liked Bella Swan, I'd leave her the fuck alone.

…

I was such a fucking ignorant prick. Ten minutes into my new solid plan, it shattered when I saw Bella in the hallway. She was walking miserably beside Jessica Stanley, and looking for an escape. I wanted to go to her, to wrap her in my arms and protect her from all the shit people in this town. Instead I turned and hid like a damn coward in an empty classroom until she passed.

I was anxious the rest of the day. I even considered ditching biology just so I wouldn't have to sit there and think about how much I had to leave her alone. At lunch I sat in my car and debated what to do about biology. I'd been completely absent mentally today, not that anyone noticed. No one really paid much attention to me, which was great.

The first bell rang after lunch and I sighed. The desire to see her again outweighed all my worries and I climbed out of my car.

She was sitting at our table, slunk down on her stool and looking like she wanted to stab herself in the eye with her pen as fucking Newton babbled on in front of her, trying desperately to get her attention, to impress her.

Bella caught sight of me past Newton and I watched as her entire face changed. Her eyes lit up and a smirk snaked its way to her lips. She looked fucking radiant and I couldn't believe that I had gotten her to look like that.

Fuck. I was so screwed.

I moved through the room easily, everyone gave me a pretty wide birth, and came up behind Newton. He turned around, sensing someone behind him and I put on my scariest face, the one that I had mastered to perfection. Newton's eyes went wide and he stuttered an excuse to Bella before bolting away from the table. It was pretty satisfying, but I still wanted to punch him in the face.

I sat down beside Bella and nodded to her in greeting. She nodded back with the same small smirk.

"Thanks." She whispered. Her voice was like a caress, and I had to fight not to shiver at the sound. "Some people just don't know how to take a hint." She continued, giving Newton an exasperated glare. I snorted quietly and she looked over at me. Her big doe eyes were trained on me, looking all sharp and fierce and sexy. I locked eyes with her, unable to resist the pull of her stare. "Hi." She mumbled, surprising me. I let out another snort, this one more humor filled, and gave her a small smile.

"Hey." I shot back. Bella's beautiful blush made a reappearance and she gave me another small smile before looking down at her notebook. How could she switch from minx to shy in a second flat? It was fascinating and it made me want to know exactly what made her go shy. Was she shy in bed? _I bet she's amazing in bed._

I scolded myself as soon as I realized where my thoughts had gone.

_Leave her the fuck alone Cullen. She deserves better than your sorry ass._

The reminder was painful but true. I had to leave her alone.

* * *

**So I am currently in Frankfurt Germany, though I'm heading out tomorrow. I didn't have any internet in Prague last week or I would have posted this on Thursday as is per usual for me. This one is a little shorter, but I'm hoping Bella's will be longer the next time I post. I, unfortunately, don't know for certain when I'll be able to post next, but I hope it will be within the next few weeks. Thanks all for reading and for sticking through this with me. **


	5. Chapter 5

- CHAPTER FIVE -

BELLA

Though he rarely talked, I felt like Edward was avoiding me. It was silly really, to think like that, especially since I didn't know Edward, but I couldn't help the nagging feeling. My first day of school had been met with little smiles and smirks, certain looks that told me that, for whatever reason, he wanted to communicate with me. It made me feel special, _he_ made me feel special and that both annoyed and terrified me.

The last guy I had let make feel special had screwed me over. I was in absolutely no hurry for any sort of repeat.

And yet?

There was something different about Edward. He was the exact opposite of James. He was quiet and kept to himself. He was absolutely gorgeous but seemed to play down his looks, as if none of that interested him. James had been arrogant and pompous and constantly surrounded by admirers. He had used his good looks to win people over.

Still, guys are guys, and I had sworn them off for a while. Possibly until sometime in college, or at least until I could legally drown my sorrows in alcohol. Having a friend's older sister buy you booze to get over a breakup has to be a low point for any girl.

Thoughts of Edward's little smirk the first day as he asked if I was any good flitted through my mind again and I shivered. Edward was mysterious and gorgeous, but so were other guys and I wasn't itching to jump them.

Get a hold of yourself Bella.

_I know where Edward could get a hold of me…_

I mentally scolded myself again and ran up the porch steps through the rain. My first week had been tedious and Edward's mysterious moods had really only aided to that. I was feeling restless again, so instead of sitting in the house, I got on my running gear again and went back out moments later. I'd been running everyday after school, not to be fit or anything like that, but to just get out some of my pent up energy. A lot of the energy I had was, I'm sure, anxiety from being in a new(ish) town and a new school, but I knew at least a quarter of all my restlessness was pent up sexual frustration.

And Edward fucking Cullen was to blame for that.

It was a unique form of torture having to sit next to him everyday, to smell his perfect scent of sin and sex and struggle to not jump him. I wanted him, badly.

Angry again at my thoughts I pushed myself harder into my run. As if I could outrun my own head.

I pushed harder and faster until thoughts finally left me, and I flew through the woods, for once in my life graceful and elegant as I dodged trees and logs. Each step was sure and strong. I'd found my stride and now nothing could touch me.

I ran until I thought I would collapse, and headed back home. Emmett was still at the garage, and dad was still at the station when I got in. I headed straight for the shower, stripping off my sweaty clothes and wandering immediately under the spray.

The hot water was amazing beating against my tired muscles, and I shut my eyes, sagging against the tile wall and letting the water run over me.

At my hip, a small itch reminded me of the recent tattoo I'd gotten and my eyes opened, as my fingers traced the small flower.

A sunflower. To remind me that beauty and goodness still existed in the world, even if I'd lost sight of it.

Shaking myself out of my sad thoughts, I reached for my shampoo and got to work cleaning my hair.

I was just about finished making dinner when both dad and Emmett came home. They were joking around and laughing with each other as they came in. I smiled at the sight. Emmett got along easily with everyone, but I knew that he missed dad. Since the divorce, we'd seen him only twice a year for four days each visit. I knew living with dad was pleasing Emmett more than he was saying.

"Hey Bells, what smells so good?" Dad asked, rounding the corner into the kitchen. I smiled at them from the stove.

"Beef stroganoff. Wash up, dinner will be ready in five." I ordered them. They both nodded and left to clean up.

I set the tiny kitchen table and served both of them huge helpings. Dad came in and gave me a smile, pulling a beer out of the fridge.

"Thanks Bells, this smells amazing." I smiled at him and set my own plate down at my spot. Em came in and grabbed a beer from the fridge on habit. Mom never cared what we drank, so long as we weren't getting arrested for it.

Dad cocked an eyebrow at him and Em flashed him a dimpled smile. Dad, amazingly enough, still didn't object.

I was tempted to test him, to grab my own beer from the fridge, but I wasn't actually craving a beer and I didn't want to drink just to prove I could.

We sat down to eat and Emmett immediately barreled in, wolfing down the food like he hadn't eaten in days.

Dad wasn't much better.

"So how did work go?" I asked them, sipping my water. Em chewed his food and gave me a bright smile.

"Great! It's awesome down there Bells, seriously, you should come down. Jake's great and he's got a great team working down there." He spoke with a light in his eyes that I easily recognized. He liked the community of the garage, liked belonging to it. My brother, while able to live in the big city of Phoenix, thrived and flourished in small communities. Emmett was built for Forks.

"Yeah Bells." Dad added. "The guys are really great and I know Jake would like to reconnect with you."

I bit my tongue at the comment that bubbled up in my throat. I'm sure Jake wanted to connect with me. I frowned in disinterest at the thought.

"So how was school?" Dad continued. Emmett launched into a play by play of his school day. Somehow he'd managed to make a handful of friends, get funny stories and have a few inside jokes to share, all from an eight-hour day. All I had was a mumbled agreement and a shrug. Fortunately, Em kept dad busy with anecdotes of his own and kept the pressure off me.

"It sounds like you kids had a good day." Dad pushed his plate back after his second helping, and brought his beer to his lips. He took a large swig then smile at Em who nodded and sat back himself.

"All in all, not bad." He agreed. Dad looked pleased.

"Well, there's a game on tonight. You interested in watching?" Emmett nodded and knocked back the rest of his beer while I shook my head.

"I have homework." I explained. Dad and Em nodded and stood, clearing their dishes before grabbing two more beers and heading out to the living room.

"Hey Bells," I looked up at Emmett. He was giving me a small smile. "It'll get easier." He said quietly. I gave him a small thankful smile. He had no idea what my day had been like, he just knew me. I appreciated his words and told him so. "If you need me," he paused and I nodded.

"I know where to find you Em. Now get out there and bond with dad. He's dying for some company." I said flicking my kitchen towel at him. Em grinned at me before leaving the kitchen and heading into the living room. I cleaned up the kitchen pretty quickly then went up to my room, barely glancing at the hockey game dad and Em were trained on as I passed through the living room.

I finished my homework rather quickly; most of it was stuff I already knew. I checked my email after homework and wasn't all that surprised to see that the only emails I had were spam.

I finally called it a night around ten, too bored to stay up much longer.

That night I had dreams of leather and smoke and pine, and eyes that told me everything and nothing all at once.

Saturday morning I slept in. My bed was way too comfortable and I was way too tired from a sleepless night to get up at my normal eight.

Instead I slept in until nine thirty, then lay in bed a while longer, reading.

I finally crawled out of bed when my phone rang.

"Hello?" I mumbled, not able to tear my eyes away from my book.

"Bella?" Alice's voice giggled over the line. "Did you just wake up?" She asked. I huffed a laugh and set the book down.

"No, I'm reading. What's up?" I asked, sitting up and stretching my back.

"Oh I was just wondering if you wanted to do a sleep over tonight." She chirped. I couldn't help my giggle.

"A sleep over?" I asked. Alice laughed.

"Yeah, just like when we were eight. We'll make pizza and paint our nails and watch chick flicks and just hang out. I've asked Rose as well." She explained. I couldn't help my laugh.

"Yeah Alice, that sounds great." I told her honestly. She squealed.

"Great! I was thinking of spending the day today shopping up in Port Angeles." She continued.

"More shopping Alice?" I snickered. She giggled.

"It's not so much about buying more stuff, it's about looking around and keeping myself busy. I go mad if I don't have anything to do and I don't have dance this weekend." She explained. I nodded, completely understanding.

"Okay, well that actually sounds fun. One week in this sleepy town and I'm already bored." I joked. Alice laughed.

"I hear that. Okay well I'm going to pick up Rose then we'll swing round and get you. Sound good?" She asked. I nodded though she couldn't see me.

"Give me about half an hour so I can shower." I told her.

"Sounds good. See you in a few." She chirped. I hung up the phone and climbed out of bed.

Emmett was in his room when I went walked toward the bathroom.

"Hey what's up?" He asked looking up from his laptop.

"Ali and Rose are coming by to pick me up. We're going shopping." I told him. Emmett smirked.

"You're shopping again?" He asked skeptically. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I know, I know, but it's something to do." I grumbled. Em grinned.

"Hey, I'm not judging. I know you go stir crazy in small towns." He winked at me and I shook my head.

"What are you up to today?" I asked.

"Homework." He grumbled. "Why don't you have any?" He sounded like a toddler pouting. I smirked.

"Because I don't have a job at the garage that takes up all my free time during the week." I told him. "I get it done after school." I shrugged. Emmett nodded.

"That makes sense." He looked down at his econ book and sighed. "Got anything I can cheat off of?" He asked, waggling his eyebrows at me. I snorted and walked toward the bathroom.

"Not a chance!" I shouted from the tiny room. Emmett's booming laughter filled the house and I couldn't help my own chuckle as I shut the door and turned on the shower.

My shower was quick, and woke me up nicely. When I wandered back to my room clad only in a towel, I wasn't all that surprised to see Alice and Rose in my room, digging through my closet. I watched them, amused, as they riffled around for something for me to wear.

"I swear I'm going to throw half these things out." Alice grumbled as she eyed a particularly old tee shirt, speckled with holes. I couldn't help my giggle and the girls whirled around.

"Find anything good?" I asked amused. Rose snorted and Alice shook her head.

"Quite the contrary missy!" She scolded, thrusting the shirt toward me. "What in God's name is this?" She demanded.

"The best shirt in all of creation." I told her. It was too. It was perfectly worn so that it was soft and comfortable. Absolutely perfect.

"It looks like something that you use to line rat's cages." Alice responded and I giggled. Okay, so it was a little worn, but I liked it. Alice rolled her eyes and put the shirt back in my closet.

"Okay," She paused and gathered herself as she looked over my options again. "You need a wardrobe update." She decided, picking at the clothes. Rose gave me a small apologetic smile but I just grinned at her and reached past them to pluck an AC/DC shirt out. Alice stared at it in concern.

"I'm all for updating." I told her, pulling out a bra and panties from my drawers. I slipped them on under my towel then dropped it so I could pull on my shirt and jeans. "But I'm not going to change who I am. I want my clothing to reflect me." I told her. Alice nodded.

"Yeah, I understand." She said after a moment. "But are you giving me permission to update?" She asked, her eyes sparkling in excitement.

"I'm saying you are going to do what you are going to do, but if you want my corporation, you have to do what I want also." I said vaguely. "Take from that what you will." I told her. She laughed and Rose snickered.

"Deal." She nodded.

I pulled on my jeans and then grabbed a pair of socks shoving them on my feet.

"I'm ready to go." I told them.

"But your hair is still wet." Alice protested.

"I'll take care of it." Rose offered. Alice nodded, looking relieved and I laughed at her again.

"You sure take this stuff seriously." I teased her. Alice snorted and plopped herself down on my made bed. I couldn't remember making it, so she must have done it when she came in.

"Please Bella, I've calmed down since we moved to Chicago. Back there I had to be perfect round the clock. It's just the way things work in the circles my parents ran in." She said shrugging her delicate shoulders. "Now I do it because it makes me happy to dress up and to do my hair and makeup. Now that there isn't that pressure on me, I can just have fun with it."

I considered her words as Rose brushed through my hair.

"Do you have a blow dryer?" She asked from behind me. I snorted and shook my head. "Yeah, I didn't think you would. Okay." She sat me down next to Alice on the bed and then climbed up behind me so that she could work on French braiding my hair.

We sat and talked while Rose worked on my hair, but it didn't take all that long. "Alright, that should keep it pretty contained until I can get at it properly." Rose nodded, eying her handy work. I looked up in the mirror and was surprised to see a complex system of braids across my head. It was absolutely gorgeous, even despite my wet hair, and I couldn't help but tell Rose so. She smiled happily then hopped off my bed, followed quickly by Alice. I stood also and grabbed my coat, wallet and phone before following the girls downstairs.

…

Port Angeles wasn't all that big. I suppose in comparison to Forks it was, but on the grand scheme of things, it was a freaking speck.

Still, Alice and Rose managed to hit every single clothing store with a tenacity I'd only ever seen in pit bulls before. They didn't actually buy all that much, they just looked and talked about cuts and fabrics and prints and a lot of other stuff I didn't follow all that well.

"I want to be a fashion designer." Alice told me as she held up a very tacky red sequined dress. "I absolutely love designing, and looking at other clothes inspire me." She explained.

"This inspires you?" I asked incredulously. Alice giggled at my tone.

"The neckline does." She said, tracing the line with her finger. "I look at clothes and break them down into parts. Necklines, fabrics, fits, stuff like that. I can pull pieces I like and leave what I don't. Then I put all the pieces I liked into a piece of my own." She went on.

"Alice that's sort of amazing." I told her after a moment. She grinned at me.

"Just wait, I'll show you some pieces when we get home." She promised. I nodded and wandered over to where Rose was studiously plucking through sewing patterns.

"You sew too?" I asked her. She looked up at me and smiled.

"A bit. Alice started teaching me when we first met." She explained. "I actually kind of like it. I feel like it'll be a good skill to have one day." She said vaguely. When I frowned at her and she smirked. "Like when I have kids." She clarified. "Growing up, all my costumes and clothes were designer made, custom pieces. My mom only had part in purchasing it, which she instructed the nanny to do. I want to be able to make stuff for my kids." She explained. I felt my heart soften just a little bit at her confession.

"That's kind of awesome Rose." I told her. She smiled at me.

"Have you found anything you like?" She asked, looking around the Good Will. I nodded and held out a pair of jeans I had found. They were a little destroyed, but they were two bucks so I didn't care.

"You and Alice are inspiring me." I told her. "I kind of want to customize these jeans now."

Rose was beaming. "That's a great idea Bella. We could totally help you out if you want." She offered. I smiled at her.

"Yeah, that would be great." I nodded. Rose was smiling at Alice who flitted over to us, a small pile of clothes in her hands. "What'd you find?" Rose asked her.

"Just a bunch of stuff to revamp." Alice shrugged.

"Perfect. We're going to teach Bella how to do that to these jeans." Rose pointed to the pile of denim in my hands and Alice beamed.

"Great idea! Let's go find more stuff for you to revamp!" She squealed. She was off like a jet before Rose or I could stop her. We looked at each other and chuckled before following Alice.

…

"So Bella, did you have a boyfriend back in Arizona?"

I looked up at Alice from my pretty purple toenails. Rose had just finished the last coat on them and they looked surprisingly, cute. I'd never thought of my toes as cute before, but Rose was a wizard with nail polish.

"Uh, no." I said shaking my head. Alice, who was busy painting her own toenails glanced up at me in between each nail painted. "I mean I had a boyfriend when I was down there, but we broke up before I moved." I said looking back down at my feet. When we had gotten back to Forks after our surprisingly fun shopping outing, we had ordered pizzas, too hungry to wait to make them ourselves, and had gotten to work on redesigning the clothes we bought. It was surprisingly fun and pretty easy once I got the hang of it. I was now wearing a black halter top with Black Sabbath on the front. The back of the shirt was slashed and tied to look edgy but still cute.

"Why?" Alice pressed. I bit my lip and stayed quiet a moment before sighing.

"He wasn't who I thought he was and I wasn't what he wanted." I said finally. Alice and Rose were both looking at me, I could feel their eyes boring into me, but I refused to look up at them. My break up with James had been painful and public and incredibly humiliating, not to mention the disaster I had gotten into with the law.

"Bella what happened?" Rose asked gently. I sighed and brought my knees up to my chest, hugging them.

"He wasn't faithful at all. In fact I'm not sure I was ever the only one he was dating." I said shaking my head in disgust. "I knew going into the relationship that he was flirtatious, I knew that and I didn't mind as long as he stayed faithful." I sighed. "We were together about nine months. It was, really ugly when it all blew up. Most of my closest friends had slept with him. They'd all been laughing about it behind my back for months. The worst was my best friend Victoria. We'd been best friends since I got to Arizona and I knew that she could be vicious, but I never really imagined that she could be that bad." I chanced a glance up at Rose and Alice and saw pity and anger on their faces.

"What a fucking ass hat." Alice growled. I snorted.

"That wasn't even the worst part." I mumbled. The girls stared at me in alarm, as if there could be something worse. "James liked to dabble in theft. It wasn't much at first, some chips or a soda from the liquor store, things I could look past." I paused and looked back at my toes. "Right before we broke up, I let him borrow my car for something. I don't even remember what it was now, I was just so annoyed with him and I wanted him to leave me alone for just a few hours so I threw my keys at him and told him to get out." I stopped to collect myself then continued on. "He came back and he was so sweet and apologetic and just, like how he had been when we first met. I thought he truly meant it, so I put off breaking up with him." I chanced a look up at the girls who both looked murderous. "Later that week, I was driving home from a friend's house when a cop pulled me over." I chewed anxiously on my lip and locked my fingers together around my legs. "The cop said that my car had been seen at the scene of a robbery last week. I was arrested and taken into the station." Alice and Rose both gasped but I continued on. "It took weeks for me to prove that I had absolutely nothing to do with it. No one would believe me since it was my car. Then I got this really lucky break. Some guy at a store across the way had seen everything go down and had caught footage on his phone. The woman in the car that the cops swore was me, was Victoria."

"Are you fucking serious?" Rose hissed. I nodded.

"They both caught jail time for it, and though my name was cleared, I just couldn't handle how people treated me. Even my mom stopped supporting me. That's when Em and I decided to move up here." I mumbled.

"If I ever get my hands on that no good," I cut off Alice, more amused than annoyed.

"He's not worth it Ali. He's a lowlife piece of crap from my past. I don't want him touching my future." I insisted. "And as much as it sucked, it really gave me a lot of life experience. I don't regret dating him per say, I just regret sticking around with him long enough to get me arrested." I said rolling my eyes. "He was just so damn charming, and gorgeous. I was blinded by it all." I chuckled humorlessly. Rose nodded in understanding.

"I know the type." She said sadly. "There was this guy back in New York. He was a couple years older than me and absolutely gorgeous. Royce King. Everyone wanted him, and I mean everyone. He was so just so damn charming." She shook her head and sighed. "I chased him for years. He finally looked my way when I was sixteen. He told me that I was exactly what he wanted in a wife and that as soon as I was eighteen he wanted to marry me. I had a ring and everything." Her blue eyes teared up a little as she spoke. "The asshole had the audacity to introduce me to the girl who was going to be his mistress. She wasn't a blue blood and she was looked down upon in our world but Royce wanted her so he kept her around on the side. He told me that she would still be around after we were married." I gasped in shock and Rose nodded. "Yeah. I returned the engagement ring that night, after I broke his nose." She looked pleased with herself about that fact and I couldn't help but chuckle. "The next week I was in Forks." She said sighing. "And now I've got Emmett. I mean, I know we've only known each other like a week but," She stopped and sighed, a silly smile crawling up her face. "He's amazing." She gushed. Alice and I giggled. Rose wasn't the typical gusher and to hear it from her was sweet.

"Well, while I'm more than certain you are capable of taking care of yourself, you let me know if my brother steps out of line. I'm sure I have some snippet of insider information you could use against him." I supplied. Rose laughed and the sound was enchanting.

"Thanks Bella. I'll be sure to remember that." She grinned.

"I still can't believe the shit luck you two have had with guys." Alice huffed, still clearly annoyed. I smiled at her.

"Life lessons Ali." I shrugged. She nodded and then sighed.

"Yeah, I know all about those." She whispered cryptically. I frowned at her, but when she offered up no further information, I shrugged and turned back to my toes.

"I think these are the best toes I've ever done." Rose announced, breaking the sudden tension. Alice giggled and went back to painting her toenails, glancing at Rose's to nod in approval. "So anything new to report on Jasper?" Rose asked turning to Alice. Ali looked up at her and shrugged, capping her polish.

"Other than him being beyond perfect?" She asked. Rose and I rolled our eyes and we all laughed. "We're talking about moving to Seattle after graduation." She said, her face turning only slightly serious, but mostly dreamy. "We're both trying to get into UW and I think we're going to get an apartment somewhere in the area." She explained.

"I love Seattle." I murmured. The girls nodded in agreement.

"I want to live on Capital Hill." Alice told us rolling her eyes. "Jazz says that's probably a bit much for our first place together." Rose barked out a laugh.

"Yeah, a bit." She snorted.

"If you guys could live anywhere in the world, where would you go?" I asked handing Alice the clear topcoat she'd motioned for. Alice's eyes went wide.

"Everywhere!" She exclaimed. "Well, okay no. I know my Jazz doesn't particularly like humidity, nor do I for that matter, and I know he enjoys Texas when we go down there, even though I just about wilt in the heat." Rose and I chuckled at her rambling. "I don't know." She said finally. "Wherever Jazz is, is my home." She said finally. Rose and I both let out quite sappy sighs. "What about you two?" She asked painting the clear coat.

"I think I like this life. Maybe not this town, though I do like it here. I just like small town living. Simple life, simple goals and dreams. I want to live somewhere where my kids can grow up safely and happily." She decided. I stared at her a long moment and when she finally noticed she blushed lightly. "What?" She asked.

"You are just the perfect match for my brother." I said shaking my head in disbelief. Rose smiled at that.

"What about you Bella?" She asked nudging me. I reached out and snatched a chip out of a bowl beside us, chewing it as I mulled over my options.

"I think I want to live somewhere with a great music scene, but not like an obvious one, a good underground one." I said finally. "I love stuff like that. I love cities late at night."

Rose and Alice exchanged a look I didn't understand, and when Rose opened her mouth to speak, Alice quickly cut her off.

"Have you ever been to London Bella? You'd love it. There is so much going on in that city!" Alice said quickly. I eyed her curiously, but finally shook my head.

"No, it's on my list." I said snatching another chip.

We spent the night talking and laughing. We stayed up late, watching movies and pigging out on junk food, before all crashing on Alice's huge bed. It was so large that all three of us could sleep there and not feel crowded. When I asked Alice why on earth she'd need a bed that big, she smiled and told me that it was for sleepovers. I wasn't sure it she was talking about us sleeping over, or Jasper, and I didn't ask.

The next morning, I woke to the distant sounds of the piano playing. The song was muted and impossibly sad, filled with anguish. It made my heart heavy to hear it.

After using Alice's bathroom, I wandered out of the room, looking for the source of the music. I wandered down the hall where a second flight of stairs that went up to the third flour sat. I stared at them curiously, itching to go up them and discover the source of the piano.

I stepped on the first stair and paused, listening as the music shifted into something complicated and beautiful. I started up the next step when Alice's voice startled me. "Bella?" I whirled around to see Alice standing by her room, looking at me curiously. I blushed at getting caught snooping and pointed toward the stairs behind me.

"I heard the music. I was curious." I admitted. Alice nodded in understanding.

"That's just my brother." She rolled her eyes and I stared at her in surprise.

"I forgot you have a brother." I admitted. Alice smirked.

"Yeah, I forget all the time." She winked at me. "He's not all that social." I nodded and came down off the stairs. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast." She chirped, linking her arm through mine and dragging me downstairs. Esme was in the kitchen cooking French toast when we got down there, and she gave us a brilliant smile.

"Good morning ladies." She offered Alice a mug of coffee, who took it and disappeared up the stairs again. I frowned after her and Esme smiled at me. "My dear Rose is quite the bear in the morning if she doesn't have her coffee." She explained. I laughed.

"Got it."

Esme smiled at me and offered me my own cup. I accepted it gratefully and took a sip of the rich dark liquid. "Nothing to add in?" She asked curiously. I shook my head.

"I like it black." I told her. She looked surprised but gave me another smile nonetheless. "Can I help with anything?" I offered, sipping the coffee again. Esme smiled.

"Aren't you just a dream." She gushed. "If you would set the table, I'd appreciate it. My husband is already at work I'm afraid and my son is such a hermit I'm sure he won't join us, so just four plates for us girls." She pointed to the cupboard and winked at me. I smiled and reached into the cupboard to pull the plates out. I set the table quickly, and by the time I was done, Esme was finished with breakfast and Rose and Alice were back downstairs.

We all settled into the table and started eating the amazing breakfast Esme had prepared.

"So did you girls have a good time last night?" Esme asked, cutting into her French toast. We all nodded.

"It's like we've known Bella forever!" Alice exclaimed. "She fits right in with us."

Esme looked over the moon at her daughter's declaration and I couldn't help but join in with the smiles around the table. Alice and Rose made me feel so welcome, so wanted. It was new and wonderful for me.


End file.
